‘Scared me to death’; North Carolina man charged for poker room robbery at Beau Rivage, police say

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - We’re learning more about an armed robbery at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Thursday morning.

Aime Joseph Gelinas, 44, of Charlotte, N.C., is in custody after being identified as a suspect in the robbery.

Biloxi Police responded to reports of the robbery at around 10:30 a.m. Police were told that a white male, later identified as Gelinas, showed a weapon and demanded cash from a cashier at a cage.

As Gelinas tried to flee, he was stopped by patrons of the casino, allowing casino security officers to detain him until Biloxi PD’s arrival. An undisclosed amount was taken from the cage employee.

A witness who saw the events unfold said the suspect sat alone at an empty poker table. When the cashier wasn’t busy, he approached the counter and pulled out a gun. The witness said the armed individual gave the cashier a note and a bag before running out of the poker room with that bag.

The witness also tells us Gelinas wore a winter coat and sunglasses and carried a tablet and a backpack. They estimate 30-40 people were in the poker room when he reportedly pulled the gun on the cashier.

“Scared me to death. Could have been a bad scene,” said the witness, who wished to remain anonymous.

Gelinas was charged with armed robbery and taken to the Harrison County Adult Detention Center, where he is being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

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