The Absurd Report

A Las Vegas judge has issued a felony arrest warrant for Antoin “Tony” Rezko on charges that he failed to pay more than $470,000 in casino gambling debts and related fees, even as a federal jury in Chicago considers his fate on corruption charges, according to a published report.

The Las Vegas Sun, citing courthouse sources, reported in Thursday’s editions that Nevada authorities notified federal authorities this week about the May 20 warrant.

According to the Sun, Rezko was charged in a May 13 criminal complaint in Las Vegas with two counts of fraud in connection with $250,000 in gambling debts at Caesars Palace and $200,000 in markers at Bally’s. The gambling is alleged to have taken place between March and July 2006, the paper reported.

Those amounts are on top of an apparent $331,000 judgment the Bellagio casino obtained against Rezko last year, the Sun said.

Rezko’s trial attorney, Joseph Duffy, said he had no independent confirmation that there was an active warrant, but added that his law firm has not handled Rezko’s Las Vegas dealings.

Duffy said Rezko had “old debt” in Nevada with two casinos that is covered by a settlement agreement.

“Why they decided to issue a warrant, I do not know,” Duffy told the Tribune late Wednesday.

Records show Rezko made two restitution payments through the Las Vegas district attorney’s office totaling $15,000 late in 2007, but then payments stopped, the Sun said. The $472,275 debt includes the debts to Bally’s and Caesars plus related processing fees to the Clark County district attorney’s office, the Sun reported.

Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago, declined comment.

The apparent Las Vegas legal issues came up as Rezko awaits a jury’s verdict on charges he used his influence with Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration in an illegal scheme to enrich himself and his friends.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Social Networking: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.