Former West Virginia Democratic legislator Doug Skaff has landed on a statewide casino ban list after pleading no contest to cheating while playing blackjack at The Greenbrier resort.
As part of a plea agreement last month, Skaff, 39, was convicted of "cheating at gaming," a misdemeanor offense, according to Greenbrier County Magistrate Court records. He paid a $416 fine, $160 in court costs and $250 in restitution to The Greenbrier.
In May, Skaff was escorted off The Greenbrier casino's gaming floor after being caught cheating with his gambling chips while playing blackjack, according to a criminal complaint.
"Unfortunately, I got caught up in the excitement of the game and evening and did not realize my actions at the time, and those actions were in violation of the rules," Skaff said Tuesday.
According to a criminal complaint filed by State Police, Skaff was accused of improperly adjusting his blackjack wagers "numerous" times. The complaint alleges that Skaff illegally added and removed $100 chips to and from his wagers - prohibited practices known as "capping" and "pinching."
Video surveillance cameras picked up Skaff changing his chip counts, and casino employees and a West Virginia Lottery investigator called State Police at 1:45 a.m. on May 15.
By cheating at blackjack, Skaff improperly gained about $250, according to the criminal complaint. Skaff was initially charged with three counts of cheating at gaming.
Skaff entered his no contest plea on Oct. 21. He was sentenced to 90 days of unsupervised probation - in addition to having to pay a fine, court costs and restitution.
"In an effort not to be drawn into a lengthy legal process, I pleaded no contest to the charge, and I paid the fine and reimbursed The Greenbrier the $250," Skaff said.
The state Lottery Commission puts gamblers convicted of cheating automatically on a statewide "exclusion list," which bars them from gambling floors at all five of West Virginia's casinos. The Lottery sent Skaff a letter last month, notifying him he was on the ban list, Skaff said. People remain banned indefinitely unless they request a hearing before the Lottery and persuade the commission to remove their names from the list.
The Lottery typically catches about 30 people who cheat while playing table games each year at casinos in West Virginia, according to security reports.
Erik Hastings, a spokesman for The Greenbrier, refused to discuss the incident. "It is our policy not to share details of any kind about our staff, guests or members," Hastings said. The resort is owned by Jim Justice, who is running as a Democrat to be West Virginia's next governor.
Skaff served six years in West Virginia's House of Delegates, representing Kanawha County's 35th District. Last year, he ran for state Senate, losing to Republican Tom Takubo.
A few weeks before that election, Skaff was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Monongalia County.
Skaff is owner and manager of Building & Remodeling Warehouse, which sells windows, doors and siding in Nitro. He said he has no plans to run for public office next year.
Staff writer David Gutman contributed to this report.
Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4869 or follow @ericeyre on Twitter.