Four Men Arrested In Lake Charles Over Card Game Scam

Police in Lake Charles have arrested four men for cheating several people out of more than $10,000 through a card game.

Deputies in Calcasieu Parish say the four men, posing as business owners, called several businesses about constructing a building in Lake Charles. Police say the men would schedule meetings at several hotels, and under the pretense of waiting for the other contractors, started "friendly" games.

After the games, the victims were all told to pay up. The four men would take the contractors to banks to get the money, oftentimes accompanying them in their cars or following them.

"They never did get to bid on a project," Sheriff Tony Mancuso says. "They were not allowed to give or show any paperwork to bid on anything. That is essentially what makes it a crime."

63-year-old Nicolas Tsotos and 70-year-old Thomas Stephanis, both of Ontario, Canada; 67-year-old Robert Crimmins, of Granbury, Texas; and 43-year-old Jeffry Blanton, of San Antonio, Texas, were all arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center.