Former Emerald Queen dealer guilty of gambling con

TACOMA -- A former dealer at the Emerald Queen Casino pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to steal money from a tribal gaming facility.

Thongsok Sovan, 41, of Tacoma, admitted in a plea agreement that between April and October 2003, she was paid to perform false playing card shuffles, allowing certain players to win at mini-baccarat. Sovan was paid $1,000 a day for her role in the con, federal authorities said.

Sovan was arrested last May as part of a card-cheating ring that targeted 18 casinos by bribing dealers to perform false shuffles that allowed other members of the conspiracy to place bets based on the known order of the cards.

Sovan faces a maximum five-year prison term, but she is likely to receive a much lighter term at her June 13 sentencing hearing.