Date:  Feb. 3, 2004

Contact: Petty Officer Dana Warr
(904) 564-7622

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Investigators with the State Attorney’s Office and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Vice Squad arrested Thomas E. O’Donnell of Indiatlantic, Fla., this morning near the casino vessel StarDancer IV as it was moored off of Adams Street in the Talleyrand area of Jacksonville.

The State Attorney’s Office began an investigation into alleged gambling activities aboard the StarDancer IV after receiving complaints of illegal gambling. StarDancer IV is associated with Coin Castle Casinos.  In the last few weeks, Coin Castle advertised on an Internet website (www.biggamecasinos.net) and on local radio it would be holding a Texas Hold’em poker tournament with a grand prize of $20,000 during Super Bowl week.

In addition to local law enforcement, officials with the United States Coast Guard boarded the vessel this morning to conduct a variety of operational and safety inspections.

The Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Jacksonville has prohibited the StarDancer IV, a 143-foot casino boat, from operating. The vessel's Certificate of Inspection was removed this morning after an MSO inspection indicated that there are not enough trained and documented crewmembers to properly staff the StarDancer IV for their planned operations. The Certificate of Inspection will be reinstated when an MSO inspection concurs that all crew requirements have been met.

For questions concerning the arrest, please contact the State Attorney’s Office:

Stephen Siegel, Assistant State Attorney, 10 W. Adams St., Suite 200 (904) 351-0900.

For questions concerning Coast Guard inspections, please contact the Joint Information Center at (904) 630-7092 and ask for a Coast Guard representative.

###