Debt collection figure files new suit against Mirage

David Strow

Friday, March 17, 2000 | 11:03 a.m.

The former Mirage Resorts Inc. employee at the center of that company's 1997 Korean debt collection scandal filed a second lawsuit against the Las Vegas gaming company Wednesday.

Laura Choi, a former international marketing representative at the Mirage hotel-casino, accused Mirage and two Mirage executives of invasion of privacy in a lawsuit filed in California Superior Court in Los Angeles. Her lawsuit requests unspecified general and punitive damages.

Choi was fired by Mirage in early 1998, following her arrest and three-month imprisonment by South Korean officials for the collection of gambling debts in that country. Mirage later agreed to pay a $350,000 fine to the Nevada Gaming Commission over the incident, though it admitted no wrongdoing.

Choi, who claims she was ordered to make the trip by Mirage officials, also has a wrongful termination lawsuit pending against Mirage in federal court in Las Vegas. Mirage has a legal claim pending as well, claiming Choi stole lists of its Asian customers and provided them to Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. Mirage also accused her of converting company funds.

Choi's latest charges center around the activities of Los Angeles private investigator Louis "Curt" Rodriguez, whose Empire Pacific Group maintains offices in Las Vegas. Choi's lawsuit also named Rodriguez as a defendant.

Rodriguez was initially hired by Trump to conduct investigative work on Mirage, but Rodriguez began secretly recording conversations he had with Trump officials and Choi in October 1998. Mirage claims Rodriguez was formally hired by Mirage on April 20, 1999, the day Mirage filed suit against Trump for the alleged theft of the high rollers' lists.

Rodriguez, a defendant in the Mirage-Trump case, claims he began the recordings because he grew uncomfortable with his assigned task -- collecting dirt on Mirage and its chairman, Steve Wynn. In her latest lawsuit, Choi alleges Rodriguez was working for her -- and accuses him of acting as a "double agent" hired "to conduct undercover operations against ... Choi and employees and agents of Trump."

"Los Angeles is the proper forum to do this," said Gregory Smith, Choi's lawyer in Los Angeles. "Choi resides in Los Angeles, and ... a lot of the surveillance activities were conducted in Los Angeles. They are a violation of California law."

In a statement issued Thursday, Mirage denied wrongdoing.

"Mirage believes that the new lawsuit filed by Choi is in retaliation for the pending case in Nevada," the company said a statement. "During the course of these cases, Mirage will establish beyond all doubt that it is innocent of causing any legally recognizable harm to Ms. Choi."

Choi's lawsuit draws heavily on evidence that came to light during the recently ended 10-month legal battle between Mirage and Trump. The two companies settled their legal claims against each other on Feb. 23 -- the day MGM Grand Inc. announced a merger offer for Mirage. None of the parties disclosed details of the settlement. Choi was the only party that did not settle with Mirage.

Choi claims she first hired Rodriguez in the summer of 1998, and hired him to conduct an investigation against Mirage to assist her plans to file suit against Mirage. At this time, Rodriguez was also working for Trump.

But in November 1998 -- as was disclosed in testimony in the Mirage-Trump case -- Rodriguez began secretly taping his conversations with Choi and others. Court documents indicate Rodriguez used a variety of devices with hidden microphones and video cameras, including briefcases, "a modified jock strap," a clock radio and a suction wire used to record telephone calls. These actions, Choi's lawyers claim, violate California surveillance laws.

Rodriguez also began delivering private documents to Mirage, Choi claims, including a 45-page transcript of a conversation Choi had with her attorney. Choi also alleges Rodriguez leaked information to Mirage that she planned to file a lawsuit against Mirage "within three weeks" -- a move Choi claims prompted Mirage to file its April 20 lawsuit against her and Trump.

These efforts violated Choi's client-attorney privilege, she claims.

"The actions of Mirage clearly amounted to a preemptive strike against Choi that was designed to prevent a lawsuit from being filed in California and an attempt to completely discredit Choi in public before her lawsuit could be filed," her lawsuit states.