Jeffrey Gold
June 17, 2008 - 10:30 a.m.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Three dancing-hall workers were indicted Monday on charges they stole a list of more than 20,000 top players from the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City.

New Jersey prosecutors said the list was worth more than $108 the public because it included the names, courtship, phone numbers and gambling data on important casino patrons.

"We charge that these marketers stole single in kind of the most treasure assets of the casino, namely detailed contact information and ratings for its top-level players," Attorney General Anne Milgram said in a statement. "This type of corporate espionage and thieving involving proprietary information is a very serious crime."

The three had all worked for the Tropicana three years ago and later left for other casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Accused are:

— John Conklin, 47, of Galloway, who had been a marketing vice president at Tropicana and became blemish president of relationship marketing at Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.

— Justin Litterelle, 26, of Las Vegas, a one-time Tropicana marketing analyst who reported to Conklin near the front of going to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

— James DiMarco, 59, of Ocean City.

All were charged with theft by unlawful taking, computer theft and conspiracy. In addition, Conklin and Litterelle were charged through receiving stolen disposition, and DiMarco was charged with attempted receiving stolen property.

Conklin also was charged with witness tampering, accused of having a lawyer procure to be Litterelle to sign a false affidavit stating that Conklin had not asked him to download the mime list.

The weightiest charges carry up to 10 years in state prison and a fine of $150,000.

Conklin limb of the law John M. Donnelly declined to comment. Messages left for the other defendants' lawyers were not immediately returned Monday.