Gambler says casino obtained his tax returns

Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2001 | 11 a.m.

A Mirage hotel-casino patron sued to recover $25 million in punitive damages from Mirage Resorts Inc. and two senior executives, claiming they violated federal laws when they allegedly illegally investigated his federal tax return information to determine the amount of casino credit to extend to him.

Richard 'Bo' Dietl of New York sued Mirage, senior vice president Thomas Sheer and an executive, Eugene Harding, in U.S. District Court on Monday, alleging he was told by a third party that the defendants paid an Internal Revenue Service employee for copies of his federal income tax returns for the 1995-1997 tax years and other confidential financial information.

Dietl said the defendants "engaged in a pattern of investigating and disclosing its patrons' federal tax return information."

Alan Feldman, spokesman for MGM MIRAGE, the parent company of Mirage Resorts, declined comment on the allegations.

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