Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Missouri investigators to question Station executives next week

Eight executives at Station Casinos Inc. were ordered to meet with investigators of the Missouri Gaming Commission next week to discuss bonus payments made to the Las Vegas company's former Missouri counsel.

Harold Bailey, spokesman for the Missouri Gaming Commission, said the eight executives were subpoenaed to meet with investigators in private meetings. The meetings are tentatively scheduled for Aug. 2-3, though that date may change because of scheduling issues, Bailey said.

"There will be no commissioners there," Bailey said. "This is part of the ongoing investigation ... it won't be a formal hearing."

The investigation will center on $500,000 in bonus payments made by Station to St. Louis attorney Michael Lazaroff, the company's former Missouri outside counsel. Lazaroff has pleaded guilty to fraud and misappropriation of funds from his former law firm.

"This is an inquiry to determine if gaming statutes or regulations were violated," Bailey said.

The executives subpoenaed were Chairman and Chief Executive Frank Fertitta III, Chief Financial Officer Glenn Christenson, General Counsel Scott Neilson, Associate General Counsel Richard Haskins, Vice President of Finance William Warner, Midwest executive Troy Stremming, Marnie Hinrichs, Neilson's executive secretary, and John Pasqualotto, vice president of regulatory compliance. Stremming and Warner are among a group of Station executives purchasing Station's two Missouri casinos for $475 million.

The Missouri Gaming Commission has also subpoenaed the eight executives to appear before the commission in an Aug. 30 public hearing in Kansas City on the Lazaroff matter.

Last week, Station announced that Fertitta and Christenson were subpoenaed separately to testify before a federal grand jury in Kansas City on the Lazaroff bonus payments. No date for the testimony has been set.

Station declined to comment on the pending hearings in Missouri. The company has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the Lazaroff matter.

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