Man Charged with Robbery of AC Casino Visitor

It was recently reported that police in Atlantic City charged a man with robbery, theft and aggravated assault of a 70-year-old visitor of the Taj Mahal Casino in early January, 2009. Lawrence Bellamy Jr. followed the elderly victim into the gaming facility's parking garage beat him and robbed him of $10,000.

The unfortunate casino patron was later identified as Antony Vastardis. Bellamy, who escaped the alleged crime scene by taxi, was apprehended last week by State Police assigned to the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

According to local authorities, Bellamy committed a similar crime at the Trump Plaza Casino Hotel. He is currently being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail on a number of charges, including robbery as well as aggravated assault. The identity of the victim in the Trump Casino case has not yet been disclosed.