As reported by: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
A Poconos casino owner accused of lying to state gambling investigators about his alleged ties to organized-crime members is cleared of all charges, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Scranton businessman Louis DeNaples, 68, will give his ownership of Mt. Airy Casino Resort in the Poconos to his daughter as part of an agreement, Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board suspended DeNaples' license after he was charged with four counts of perjury in January 2008. He was accused of misleading investigators about the extent to which he knew two reputed mob figures and two people embroiled in a Philadelphia corruption scandal.

"I am relieved and gratified that the district attorney has recognized that the criminal charges against me are baseless and that he has decided to do the right thing and drop the charges altogether," DeNaples said in a statement.

"I have said from the start that I am innocent, and that's the truth. I have said from the start that I have no connection to organized crime, and that's the truth," he said.

The suspension order remains in effect and the board will evaluate it, a gambling board statement said.

The criminal case was shrouded in secrecy for more than a year as DeNaples' lawyers fought to have it dismissed.


Article By: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review