Underground Poker Club Worker Arrested for Alleged Armed Robbery Plot Involvement
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A former waitress at an illegal underground poker club in Connecticut told the U.S. Sun she had no involvement in a botched armed robbery attempt that ended with both robbers being shot to death.
Bridgeport police, however, tell a different story, claiming that Shanica Merced assisted in plotting to rob her place of work. The 35-year-old was arrested last week on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery in the first degree and illegal gambling, both felonies. Her bond was set at $250,000.
What Went Down at Seedy Poker Club?
Tayvon Geter and Richard Davis, both 30, entered the poker club at 1542 Stratford Avenue in Bridgeport on March 30 armed with the intent to commit robbery, according to police. A patron inside the seedy gambling den known to host high-stakes poker games exchanged gunfire with the would-be robbers, who were both killed in the shootout.
An investigation into the incident has since transpired, and the most recent update is that Merced, a waitress at the club, was arrested in connection. But she denied involvement in an interview with The U.S. Sun.
"I had nothing to do with it. I never told those boys nothing," Merced said. "I didn't tell the boys to come here [the illegal gambling club]. They just showed up."
Merced claims she was friends with one of the deceased suspects but didn't know the other, and said the armed individuals arrived at the club in masks but took them off upon entering the facility.
Further Details on Alleged Conspiracy to Commit Robbery
Police claim that surveillance video shows Merced and one of the suspects having a private conversation prior to when the robbery occurred. Davis and Geter, according to investigators, then carried out a botched robbery that left them both dead and a bullet grazing Merced during gunfire, although she didn't suffer any serious injuries.
Merced said she was surprised when her friend began robbing the underground poker club.
"Them boys tried to rob the place. I had nothing to do with that," she claims. "My friend was coming in just being a friend, and he loses his mind."
"I didn't know what's going on in people's head. He wanted to do what he wanted to do. I had nothing to do with that."
Investigators claim the surveillance footage shows Merced allowing the masked Davis and Geter to enter the club on the night of the deadly incident. She then sat down at a table to chat with them, police say.
Merced stated in the U.S. Sun interview that her friend looked her directly in the eye and shot her. A bullet struck her leg, causing minor injuries. The accused conspirator is out on bail awaiting trial.
She provided more insight into the underground gambling den that has since closed down, saying it was a "social club where people came to hang out," and that it was a "safe haven for people" until the botched armed robbery.
Two others — Marcus Farmer, 37, and Sean Ellam, 38 — were arrested two months after the incident for allegedly stealing a gun from the deceased suspects following the shooting. Police do not believe they were involved in planning or participating in the armed robbery, however.
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