FBI agents cut off Internet access to gain entry as repairmen
In an elaborate ruse, FBI agents went undercover at a Las Vegas casino to catch members of an alleged sports betting ring in July 2014. The ring was allegedly headed by 50-year-old Malaysian millionaire and gambling guru Paul Phua. The FBI’s deceptive incursion into a high-roller suite inside Caesars Palace hotel was videotaped from the lapel of one of the agents. The video was recently released by the Associated Press.
To gain entry to Phua’s hotel room, the FBI cut off his Internet access, then posed as computer repairmen called in to fix the blackout. Once inside, the agents looked at Phua’s computers, claiming they saw evidence of illegal betting. One of the FBI agents in the video says: "I got the URL for the site they were wagering on."
The FBI later returned with a search warrant. They arrested Phua, his son and six others, accusing them of taking millions of dollars in bets on the World Cup.