Lakeside

An accomplice in the Barona Indian Reservation bingo-rigging scam was sentenced Thursday for his part in showing shills how to mark bingo cards to divert prize money away from legitimate winners.

Joseph Catania, 38, of Las Vegas, who was originally charged with three counts of grand theft, had pleaded guilty to two counts of helping steal $140,000 in prize money.

San Diego Municipal Court Judge H. Ronaldo Dominitz gave Catania three years’ probation. Dominitz commended Catania for owning up to his part in the scam and not trying to lay the blame on anyone else.

Dominitz ordered Catania to pay a $1,000 fine and $200 to the state restitution fund, and to donate $1,750 in goods and services from his decorating business to Las Vegas charities.

The prosecuting attorney, Deputy Atty. Gen. Gary Schons, said he agreed with the probationary sentence. “He was a lesser player and I didn’t feel custody was really called for,” Schons said.

Catania was also ordered to stay out of California gambling establishments and not to work in such establishments anywhere.

Catania’s attorney, Ron Frant, said that under the plea bargain agreement, the felony convictions against Catania will be reduced to misdemeanors upon successful completion of probation. Catania’s probation will be transferred to Las Vegas.

Stewart Siegel, 48, former general manager of the Barona bingo games in Lakeside, pleaded guilty April 2 to four counts of felony grand theft in connection with predetermining winners of high-stakes bingo games.

Siegel will be sentenced Sept. 22. A third co-defendant, Louis Cordileone, 49, of Hollywood, will go on trial Sept. 16 on a charge of inducing his girlfriend to lie to the grand jury about the games.