Police in Fairfax County, Virginia, arrested six men in connection with two home invasion robberies of high-stakes private poker games. The robbers stole several thousand dollars’ worth of cash, credit cards, watches and jewelry in two heists last month, the first on 12 March and the second on 22 March. A police spokeswoman said that the home games might have been pre-selected as targets due to their high visibility and the large amount of cash available at the tables.
According to police reports, one of the robbers dressed in a black T-shirt with the word “POLICE” displayed in bright letters, possibly in an attempt to coerce the hosts into opening their doors. The other gang members, all dressed in black and wearing black ski masks, showed handguns and forced the players to give up their wallets, jewelry, cell phones and keys. No injuries were reported as a result of the thefts, although some players fell victim to the robbers in both cases.
Police arrested four of the six men after a traffic stop in Rockville, Maryland, where they found marijuana and robbery tools in their 2008 Nissan Altima. The men arrested were identified as:
• Kevin Guzman, 18, of Silver Spring, Maryland
• Dalio Guzman, 20, brother of Kevin Guzman
• Kadeem Haynes, 19, of Rockville, Maryland
• Francis Voysest, 18, of Greenbelt, Maryland
The four men face charges of marijuana possession and two counts of robbery, among other charges. Police also arrested two other men in connection with the thefts:
• Samie Niel, 20, of Silver Spring, Maryland
• Hung T. Nguyen, 31, of Germantown, Maryland
Lucy Caldwell, the spokeswoman for the Fairfax County Police Department, said that the suspects may have been involved in other robberies at home poker games, but that any other possible victims have yet to come forward. She also said that the players who were victimized by the thieves would not face illegal gambling charges.