Kansas City-area man Oscar Glover was arrested near Tulsa, Oklahoma last week after he was on the run for almost a month. Glover allegedly followed a poker player home from Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino on July 1 and robbed him at gunpoint.
According to a WDAF-TV Kansas City news report, casino security footage shows Glover staking out the victim as the gambler exited the casino before following him by car for over an hour. Near the victim’s home, Glover cut him off with his car, broke the victim’s window, and actually fired gun shots as he demanded his casino winnings. Fortunately, the victim is fine, if a bit shaken from the incident.
“This wasn’t just a coincidence that it happened. This was a well thought out plan to follow somebody out a casino who had won money and rob them,” Cass County Sheriff’s Office Captain Kevin Tieman told WDAF.
He advised viewers to always be aware of their surroundings and to contact authorities if they “see something odd.”
This advice can especially apply to casino gamblers. This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that someone is robbed after a night (or day) at the casino. Anyone can walk into a casino and hang out and then just look for someone who has gone on a nice winning streak. Casinos are a cash business, so winners walk out of the building with plenty of paper. Excited to have had a winning night, gamblers are often completely unaware of what is going on around them – they just expect the walk to their car or the drive home to be uneventful. And wouldn’t most of us act the same? You’re done for the night, you go to your car, and you head home.
But all someone has to do is tail you and jump you in the parking garage or, like Glover, follow you home. This has happened to plenty of poker players over the years. One helpful tip that the news report gave is that gamblers can always ask security for an escort to their car. Now, this won’t necessarily stop someone from following you home, but it still very well could, as a potential robber may lose their nerve after seeing security.
None of this is to say that events like this are extremely common. One shouldn’t be afraid to go play some poker. Just be aware. And don’t flaunt your winnings. Be as discrete as possible.
One of the sad parts about this case is that Glover only made off with about $500. I would love to have $500 in front of me right now, but all that trouble – and the potential of murdering someone – is not worth that kind of money (allow me to add that no amount of money is worth doing that sort of thing).
The 39-year old Glover was taken to the Tulsa County jail and will be sent to Cass County, Missouri, to face charges of first-degree robbery and criminal action.
Lead image credit: WDAF-TV Kansas City