Man accused of rigging bingo raffle to split prize

[October 22, 2008]  NORTH BELLE VERNON, Pa. (AP) -- A volunteer fire department president in western Pennsylvania is accused of rigging a bingo raffle and splitting the $1,500 prize with the winner. Roger Nogy, 56, of North Belle Vernon, has not returned calls for comment on the charges he faces, including theft by deception.

Westmoreland County detectives said witnesses report that Nogy acted suspiciously and called out the three-digit winning number quickly without displaying three balls drawn to pick the numbers. The detectives said the woman who won the prize is a friend of Nogy's.

The woman acknowledges splitting the money with him, even though she said she didn't help rig the drawing. But the woman said she, Nogy and his wife had previously agreed to split their bingo winnings.

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Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, http://pghtrib.com/

[Associated Press]

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