Nashua Boston Billiards Dealer Charged With Felony Theft

NASHUA – A former dealer at the Boston Billiards Club and Casino was charged with felony theft on Tuesday after Nashua Police say he manipulated a card game for personal profit.

Christopher Hopf, of Shirley, Mass., 40, is accused of conspiring with a player to produce a winning hand. The Nashua Criminal Investigation Division investigated the report of an employee theft on Oct. 16 and Tuesday charged Hopf with the class A felony, which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Boston Billiards Club and Casino, which offers several gaming options, including Spanish 21, roulette, craps and poker games, reported the incident to Nashua Police.

"This individual immediately caught our attention," Boston Billiards Club and Casino Marketing Director Kevin McMahon said Wednesday afternoon. "We have really experienced floor managers and a state-of-the-art security system. We were able to catch him in the act.

"Things looked fishy," he continued. "Then when we checked the tape we saw he was stacking the deck, essentially. Our staff immediately sprang into action and then we called the police to file a report."

McMahon said Boston Billiards Club and Casino management chose to prosecute the case to be transparent and show the public that the integrity of the games is taken very seriously.

"We knew once the police report was released it would make the papers," McMahon said. "But we wanted to make the point that this sort of thing will not be tolerated. We do our best to run a very tight ship. We don't tolerate cheating or nefarious behavior of any kind."

McMahon said dealers are licensed through the New Hampshire Lottery Commission that does background checks and requires annual license renewals.

"Both us and the state do a lot of legwork before we determine that someone is fit to hire," he said.

Boston Billiards Club and Casino operates under the guidelines of the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission. McMahon said the casino recently surpassed $4 million in donations to 501(c)(3) charities in the state.

Hopf is scheduled for arraignment at the Hillsborough County Superior Court South on March 21.

The Nashua Police Department requests anyone with more information about this incident to contact the Crime Line at 603-589-1665. You can also follow the Nashua Police Department on Twitter @NashuaPolice.