邮轮赌场船主被指控非法经营赌博

　　处于热带草原地的赌博船运营商长期在乔治亚州和南卡罗来纳州水域非法招揽顾客赌博，联邦检察官在起诉书中表示，将夺取赌场游轮将近700万美元的非法盈利。

　　美国联邦地方法院的起诉书将指控钻石赌场的总经理和经营非法赌博业务的两个船长-控告处以最高五年徒刑。起诉书7月11日密封提交，由法官于星期一启封。

　　起诉书中称，该轮船运营商"定期例行在佐治亚州和南卡罗来纳州水域非法开放和运营船上赌场。"

　　要提供合法的赌博，开设赌场的船必须超越沿海国家水域，延升到海岸外3英里。邮轮运营商网站公布，其184英尺的赌场船皇家钻石，有18桌供扑克、掷骰子、二十一点、轮盘游戏以及240台角子机。

　　在起诉书中被指控的钻石赌场的总经理格雷戈里·西西里周二通电话时拒绝就此发表评论。他的律师史蒂夫·博韦也没有即刻答复美联社的电话留言。

　　被指控船长之一约翰·伯格，也没有立即电话留言答复。另一个船长杰弗里·托马斯的电话号码已经停机。

　　检察官说，2010年7月至去年11月间，非法赌博给邮轮带来将近700万美元盈利，他们说，政府有权剥夺那些收益。检察官还打算扣押轮船。

　　在11月联邦代理对钻石赌场的萨凡纳的办公室施行搜查令并扣押笔记本电脑和文件后，起诉书已经有8个月。检察官说，起诉以涉及联邦和州当局的调查以根据。

　　在萨凡纳的助理美国律师詹姆斯·达勒姆，周二拒绝对此案作进一步回应。起诉书中并未说明钻石赌场经营者被指控的是在国家水域的整个赌博邮轮，还是在超出了赌博合法水域中航行时开办的赌场业务。

　　钻石赌场的办公电话已无法接通。其网站上说，所有游船因船改造而取消。

　　译文：

　　Operators of a Savannah-based casino boat routinely allowed patrons to gamble illegally in state waters off Georgia and South Carolina, federal prosecutors said in an indictment that seeks to seize nearly $7 million earned from the casino cruises.

　　The indictment in U.S. District Court charges the general manager of Diamond Casino and two of his boat captains with operating an illegal gambling business - a charge punishable by up to five years in prison. Filed under seal July 11, the indictment outlining the charges was unsealed by a judge Monday.

　　"On a regular and routine basis," the indictment said, the boat's operators "unlawfully opened and operated the casino aboard the Vessel within the state waters of Georgia and South Carolina."

　　To offer gambling legally, casino boats must sail beyond coastal state waters, which extend to 3 miles offshore. The cruise operator's website says its 184-foot casino boat, the Diamond Royale, had 18 tables for poker, craps, blackjack and roulette wheels as well as 240 slot machines.

　　Gregory Sicilia, Diamond Casino's general manager who is charged in the indictment, declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday. His attorney, Steve Beauvais, did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press.

　　One of the boat captains charged, John Sternberg, also did not immediately return a phone message. A phone number listed for the other captain named in the indictment, Jeffrey Thomas, was no longer working.

　　Prosecutors said the illegal gambling cruises brought in nearly $7 million between July 2010 and last November, and they say the government is entitled to those proceeds. Prosecutors also want to seize the cruise boat itself.

　　The indictment came eight months after federal agents served a search warrant on Diamond Casino's Savannah office in November, seizing laptop computers and documents. Prosecutors said the charges stemmed from an investigation involving federal and state authorities.

　　James Durham, an assistant U.S. attorney in Savannah, declined to comment further on the case Tuesday. The indictment did not specify whether Diamond Casino operators are accused of staying in state waters for entire gambling cruises or whether they kept casino operations going beyond the time they were sailing in waters where gambling was legal.

　　Diamond Casino's office phone has been disconnected. Its website says all cruises have been cancelled "due to remodeling of the boat."