Anthony Zinno Denies Theft Allegations as Incident Details Remain Vague

Summary:

• Zinno admitted picking up Theuma’s bag but denied stealing money from it
• A police report on the incident lacks some key details
• Theuma maintains his bag had $20K but he was only able to retrieve $1K when it was returned to him

American poker pro Anthony Zinno has denied allegations he stole cash out of a bag belonging to another player during the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship series at Wynn Las Vegas in December last year.

The four-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner and WPT title holder finally broke his silence on the accusations against him in a Feb. 8 post on X (formerly Twitter).

More details about Zinno’s case have emerged this week, with a police report confirming that the poker pro did get hold of a bag that allegedly contained $20,000 in cash, based on surveillance footage. However, questions still remain as to what really happened during the incident.

Police Report Discrepancy

The bag with cash belongs to Corel Theuma, a 2023 Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) champion. Theuma first provided details about the incident in January, accusing Zinno of stealing cash from his bag which he left underneath his chair during the WPT World Championship in December.

The incident happened during the end of Day 1b in a $3,000 buy-in event. As per Theuma’s account, he was so focused on the big stack he had bagged at the end of the game that he forgot about his backpack. He only realized he didn’t have it when he was about to get to his taxi. He quickly returned to the area but the bag was not there already. Thankfully, he was able to retrieve the bag the following day.

Theuma claims that the bag had $20,000 inside but when it was returned to him, there was only $1,000 left. Zinno was interviewed by authorities on Dec. 19. He was cited for petit larceny but has not been charged with any crime. He was released on the same day.

The police report recently released by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) had a different account of events.

According to the report, Theuma told investigators he had to use the restroom and had to leave the bag and money behind. The report also lacks details as to how long it took for Zinno to pick up the bag after Theuma left his seat.

Zinno Denies Allegations

In a post on X, Zinno admitted he took the bag and planned to personally return it to the owner. He said he only opened the bag to look for ID to help him identify the owner.

He tried to contact Theuma and meet with him but that did not happen, so he decided to just take the bag to Encore’s lost and found section. Zinno “absolutely” denies the accusations against him.

I’d like to share some thoughts, and I’ll provide all details after the legal matter finishes:

We had all made it into the money, which ended the day. The ballroom was shut down for the night. I stood up to leave and then noticed a lost bag close by. My first instinct (it was a…

— Anthony Zinno (@AntZinno) February 8, 2024