Four passengers sailing on the cruise ship MSC Magnifica out of Miami were arrested for using fraudulent credit cards in the ship’s casino. The suspects, Michael F. Emmanuel, 35; Tyrisha Delgado, 38; Devin Jones, 28; and Quentin Marcellus Tuck, 32, were charged with several crimes, including grand theft and fraud. They tried to take out large cash advances using fraudulent credit cards to gamble on slot machines and other games during the four-day cruise, which started on August 19.
The ship’s security notified US Customs and Border Protection, who then contacted Bahamian authorities. The suspects were prevented from leaving the ship at Nassau in the Bahamas. When the ship returned to Miami on August 22, they were arrested and taken to jail. Further investigation revealed that the suspects also used fake credit cards to book their cruise tickets.
The MSC Magnifica’s Atlantic City Casino features slot machines along with roulette and blackjack tables for 222 guests in 6,780 square feet. The incident took place during the cruise's roundtrip voyage, which included stops at Ocean Cay (MSC Cruises’ private island in the Bahamas) and Nassau, before returning to Miami.
This isn’t the first casino bust on cruise ship. In 2021, the Spanish police arrested three men on the Wonder of the Seas for attempting to scam the ship's casino out of thousands of euros. The poker players were caught swapping cards under the table to create winning hands, while a third accomplice distracted the dealer with conversation. The group was found with €37,000 (US$36,918) in cash. However, casino staff quickly noticed the scam and reported it, leading to the gang's arrest.
