I am posting this true story that happened to a chip collector i know. I will NOT reveal his name or the casino he was at. I will say its an Atlantic City casino. That was the deal we made for me to get him to write me his story. I just thought his story would be of interest to chip collectors, especially collectors who harvest tournament chips and even more so if you sell them online.
Ill start by telling how i fit into this. I get an email from a collector who ive had dealings with. He contacted me because he knows i am an LEO and wanted advise. We talk on the phone about what happened. I suggest right away when i hear charges are being filed to get a lawyer. After some time i finally get the update that the incident is behind him and i ask if i can post his story here. By the way, keep in mind that the Law Enforcement agency working the case was able to get all the information they needed for the seller of these tournament chips from Ebay and thats how they contacted him. As an LEO i was quite surprised they even went after this but they did and heres the story he emailed me about his incident.

"Back in Nov and Dec went to play some of BLANK casino's small buy-in tourneys. I decided to grab a couple chips as a souvenir. After I get home I decide that I don't like plastic chips, have no need for them and sell them on eBay.

In December I get a call from the BLANK state police casino investigation team asking me if I took some chips from the BLANK casino when I was in a tourney. Not thinking anything of it, I say yes – I took them as a souvenir. Detective was a nice guy and says he will go back to them and let them know...he stated he didn't feel there was any malicious intent and thought it should go away.

Well...not so. BLANK casino decides to press charges – theft of moveable property. 5 poker chips with a value of $3.40 – just how its stated in the report.

Feb I get a summons to appear in court in Mar. I try to find the best lawyer I can from over 200 miles away. Found someone - $2000 retainer and if it goes to trial it would be another $500 and if I want it expunged it would be another $850.

I drive up there for court. My attorney talks to the prosecuting attorney before the trial. He tells him I'm a collector, no malicious intent, don't ruin my career, blah, blah, blah... Comes back over to me after they made a deal. Deal was – I send back any chip I have and stay out of their place and all charges will be dropped. I'm in there probably a total of 10 minutes and then back on the road on my way home because I have a poker tournament at my place that night.

In august my expungement was granted. In September we tried to query the record and find nothing.

All in all “harvesting” some poker chips cost me about $3000. "