Nurse pleads no contest to Mohegan Sun player theft
A Long Island nurse who was to go on trial next week in New London Superior Court pleaded no contest Thursday to stealing a $25,000 gaming chip, Rolex watch and other items from a California business owner at Mohegan Sun on Feb. 1, 2015.
Moira Canty, 43, of Rockville Centre, N.Y., pleaded no contest to two counts of fourth-degree larceny and one count of interfering with police, all misdemeanor crimes.
She agreed to pay $20,500 in restitution and $6,000 in fines at her sentencing on Oct. 6, according to prosecutor Stephen M. Carney.
She will not be subject to prison time or probation unless she fails to pay the fees.
Canty had cried frequently during her numerous court appearances. Her attorney, Frank J. Riccio, said it is unknown whether the conviction would put her nursing license at risk.
"It has been an emotional experience for her," Riccio said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. "It's not the perfect result, but it's fair considering all the circumstances."
She and a group of friends had gone to the casino for the weekend to celebrate a birthday and were planning to attend a Linkin Park concert on the night of the incident, Riccio said.
The concert was canceled and instead, the group met up and partied with the victim, 28-year-old Joseph C. Horiuchi of Poway, Calif., at the casino's hotel.
According to court documents, Mohegan Tribal Police arrested Canty after she attempted to cash out a $25,000 chip that she allegedly had stolen from Horiuchi during a party at the Mohegan Sun hotel. They said she also stole $10,000 in cash, a Rolex watch and an Apple TV unit.
The stolen gaming chip has since been returned to the casino.
One of the state's claims was that Canty refused to open the hotel door for police.
While the case was pending, Horiuchi, owner of a personal fitness company called Athlete's Dojo, incurred a major legal problem of his own.
He was charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated stemming from an April 9 crash in Vista, Calif.
Authorities allege Horiuchi's blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit when he ran a red light at 88 mph.
According to news reports, Horiuchi's BMW struck a car driven by Richard Lee, 35, causing Lee's car to strike a traffic signal pole. Lee died at the scene. Horiuchi was critically injured when his car rolled and landed in a nearby parking lot.
Horiuchi is free on bond while his case is pending and was expected to be available if Canty's trial went forward before Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed.
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.
