Judge laments crimes he claims are linked to Hempfield casino as blackjack player is sentenced for having loaded gun

A Jeannette man will serve two years of probation for illegally possessing a loaded handgun while playing blackjack in a Westmoreland County casino.

Kenneth J. Czarnecki, 26, pleaded guilty to one felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license while gambling at Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield on Feb. 2, 2021.

Czarnecki had been banned from the casino for a day after previously entering the facility with a weapon, police said. He returned before his ban ended and was spotted by officials with a loaded Sig Sauer handgun in his waistband, according to prosecutors.

Police said Czarnecki did not have a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Following his arrest, Czarnecki in an interview with TribLive said he forgot he had the gun and magazine with him while in the casino.

“I had no intention of using it on anyone or hurting or anyone or threatening anyone,” he said. “I forgot to take it off of me when I went in there.”

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger said Czarnecki’s case is part of a continuing trend of crimes related to the casino, which opened in 2020.

“I wish we didn’t have the casino,” Krieger said, noting that he presides over cases that are initiated from the section of Westmoreland County where the casino is located. “I see all the nonsense from the casino. Maybe some people get rich, but most don’t. Gambling, drugs and guns don’t mix.”

Live Casino Pittsburgh spokesman Tom Meinert declined to directly comment on the judge’s claims. He instead pointed to testimony from the casino’s state license renewal hearing in June, which featured statistics showing a decline in crime near the casino and increased security at the mall.

As part of his probation sentence, Krieger ordered Czarnecki to serve one year of house arrest. Those sentences will run concurrent to any additional sentences Czarnecki receives for two pending drunk driving cases, the judge said.