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Friday, October 02, 2009

Warrant issued for ballplayer Shawn Chacon over gambling markers

Mezrich!...mezrich!...mezri…uh-oh.

Authorities now have an arrest warrant for former major league pitcher Shawn Chacon as a result of his alleged failure to pay Caesars Palace $150,000 in gambling markers.

The 31-year-old Chacon — a onetime All-Star whose up-and-down career as a big league pitcher ended abruptly last year following a physical confrontation with the general manager of the Houston Astros — is facing a felony charge of passing three bad $50,000 checks in March, according to a copy of a criminal complaint obtained by the Sun.

The district attorney’s bad check unit is seeking a total of $165,125 in bail on the charge. That covers the $150,000 Chacon allegedly owes Caesars Palace, as well as additional processing fees he now owes the bad check unit for the cost of prosecuting the case.

Gambling debts are prosecuted as bad checks in Nevada.

Repoz Posted: October 02, 2009 at 07:07 PM | 25 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: October 02, 2009 at 07:42 PM (#3338912)

This will hurt his HOF chances. That and the whole "sucking at baseball" thing.

2. Walt Davis Posted: October 02, 2009 at 07:57 PM (#3338925)

you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
know when to walk away, know when to run

He seems to be doing OK at one of those.

3. Steve Sparks Flying Everywhere Posted: October 02, 2009 at 08:27 PM (#3338961)

What are the odds that Chacon tries something stupid and faces charges for resisting arrest?

4. God Posted: October 02, 2009 at 08:49 PM (#3338983)

Surprising that he didn't save enough money to pay off the debt. But then, he was never good at saving anything, was he?

5. Tricky Dick Posted: October 02, 2009 at 08:53 PM (#3338986)

The Astros television broadcasts have a feature where they ask particular players what occupation they would want to have if they didn't play baseball. (The strangest answer: J.R. Towles said he would want to be a rodeo clown.) Last year, when Shawn Chacon was asked the question, he said he would want to be a professional poker player. Chacon said he is a very good card player, and had no doubt he could make a living at it.

6. jwb Posted: October 02, 2009 at 08:56 PM (#3338988)

Speaking of deeply in debt scofflaws, has anyonr heard anything more recent than May about Troy Neel?

7. Downtown Bookie

Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:00 PM (#3338992)

Authorities now have an arrest warrant for former major league pitcher Shawn Chacon as a result of his alleged failure to pay Caesars Palace $150,000 in gambling markers....The district attorney’s bad check unit is seeking a total of $165,125 in bail on the charge.

Chacon is lucky. Back when I was a young man, such matters were never handled by the DA's office.

DB

8. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:00 PM (#3338993)

I blame Cecil.

9. JPWF13

Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:05 PM (#3338996)

Chacon said he is a very good card player, and had no doubt he could make a living at it.

People with a gambling "problem" generally say and believe such things. Those who actually can make a living gambling, don't say such things- and have no problem walking away from the table.

10. Jolly Old St. Neck Wound, Moral Idiot

Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:05 PM (#3338997)

Chacon never was a True Yankee.

11. Fly, the most judgment-free human being on Earth Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:10 PM (#3339004)

Gambling debts are prosecuted as bad checks in Nevada.

Well, that's because that's what they are. They're not gambling debts, he wrote 3 post dated checks. That's how markers work.

12. jwb Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:10 PM (#3339005)

Well, TFA identified him as "former major league pitcher Shawn Chacon" not "former Yankee Shawn Chacon," so I think they're showing some sensivity to your viewpoint, St. Nick.

13. RB in NYC (Now with New Running Goal!) Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:14 PM (#3339009)

People with a gambling "problem" generally say and believe such things. Those who actually can make a living gambling, don't say such things- and have no problem walking away from the table.

There seems to be some overlap in this, particularly with professional poker players who seem to have trouble with anything but poker.

14. Sleepy supports unauthorized rambling Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:15 PM (#3339010)

Chacon is lucky. Back when I was a young man, such matters were never handled by the DA's office.

Just good business; it's cheaper to buy a DA than to keep a team of bruisers on retainer...

15. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:17 PM (#3339014)

Speaking of deeply in debt scofflaws, has anyonr heard anything more recent than May about Troy Neel?

He got five years probation and has to pay almost $779,000 in restitution. Fines were waived because of his inability to pay.

16. God Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:18 PM (#3339016)

There seems to be some overlap in this, particularly with professional poker players who seem to have trouble with anything but poker.

Quit picking on cuddly old T.J. Cloutier.

17. God Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:21 PM (#3339019)

Sounds like Neel got off a lot easier than he should have. And how does one reconcile "owns an island resort in the South Pacific" with "fines waived due to inability to pay"?

18. Hang down your head, Tom Foley Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:30 PM (#3339023)

Neel's letter to the Texas attorney general starts off "As you might know I married Lesa 3 times and divorced her twice."

19. puck Posted: October 02, 2009 at 09:49 PM (#3339037)

It's only a matter of time until Denny Neagle is arrested picking up Chacon on Colfax.

Oh man, I probably shouldn't joke about that.

20. RayDiPerna

Posted: October 02, 2009 at 10:34 PM (#3339063)

Uh oh.

21. jwb Posted: October 02, 2009 at 10:40 PM (#3339069)

He got five years probation and has to pay almost $779,000 in restitution. Fines were waived because of his inability to pay.

Thank you.

And how does one reconcile "owns an island resort in the South Pacific" with "fines waived due to inability to pay"?

"Was part owner of a bankrupt island resort in the South Pacific" would be a more accurate description.

Somewhere I have a postcard from a friend of mine who visited Vanuatu. It reads something like this: "Lovely HUGE ####### COCKROACHES island. The scuba diving is pretty good. The beaches MOSQUITOES BLOCK OUT THE SUN are gorgeous."

It's only a matter of time until Denny Neagle is arrested picking up Chacon on Colfax.

Or Dave Stewart. . .

22. Sleepy supports unauthorized rambling Posted: October 03, 2009 at 02:43 AM (#3339145)

Instead of paying, Neel fled the country, remarried, and purchased a small island

If only all tough decisions in life were that easy.

23. Jeff K. Posted: October 03, 2009 at 03:58 PM (#3339291)

Neel's letter to the Texas attorney general starts off "As you might know I married Lesa 3 times and divorced her twice."

Dude went to A&M;. You're lucky it wasn't written in crayon with backwards Es and with a jelly stain right above the Pokemon stickers.

24. McCoy Posted: October 03, 2009 at 04:16 PM (#3339310)

So whatever did happen to the union grievance? Did Chacon get his money or was his contract voided?

25. Pops Freshenmeyer Posted: October 03, 2009 at 04:38 PM (#3339321)

So whatever did happen to the union grievance? Did Chacon get his money or was his contract voided?

They were supposed to put the money in his checking account...

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Warrant issued for ballplayer Shawn Chacon over gambling markers

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