Mayor's Son Indicted

Jacob D. Nickels, 25, a former Indian casino pit boss and the son of Seattle's mayor, was one of 24 people indicted on racketeering charges, federal officials announced in Seattle and San Diego today. The indictments are the result of an investigation into a multi-state casino-cheating ring that allegedly stole millions of dollars by bribing casino employees to falsely shuffle decks, the Associated Press reports.

A pit boss at the Nooksack River Casino in Whatcom County in  2005, Nickels is accused of accepting $5,000 to introduce an alleged co-conspirator to crooked dealers, federal attorneys announced, alleging the racketeering enterprise dates back to March, 2002. The scheme included a plan to steal more than $1 million from the Emerald Queen Casino near Fife, officials alleged.

In a prepared statement, Mayor Greg Nickels said

We will be encouraging him to cooperate fully with the investigation. Until we know more we will have no comment on the substance of these allegations."

More details and the indictments, here. And the San Diego angle here.