The theft of $13K worth of casino chips from Encore Boston Harbor led to the arrest of a 35-year-old man this week.

Gary Hunt of Massachusetts was charged with larceny over $1,200 and larceny from a building, according to Boston TV station WCVB.

He was arraigned in Malden District Court on Wednesday. He was directed to avoid returning to the Everett, Mass. casino. He also was told to next appear in court on Sept. 16.

The incident began at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Hunt was at a gaming table just sitting and not playing any games, according to Massachusetts state police.

He kept on standing up from the chair and sitting back down again. He also appeared to use his cell phone, according to witnesses.

Suddenly, Hunt distracted those around him by shouting out that a player had just won a jackpot. While others tried to view the winner, Hunt allegedly stole 13 orange-colored $1K chips from a dealer’s tray, police said.

He ran out of the casino floor and made his way to an emergency exit.

Chips Found on Hunt

Police ran after him and found him in a nearby parking lot. He had many of the missing casino chips with him, police said.

One other chip was found outside of the casino. Hunt put two of the chips in a sneaker and later removed them, CBS News reported.

WCVB revealed in a report that Hunt has been battling an addiction, according to a relative.

We are deeply saddened by the recent events involving our eldest son, Gary, which occurred within the context of his longtime mental health and addiction struggles,” former Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, the suspect’s mother, said in a statement.

“The path to recovery is not perfect and he understands the graveness of this lapse. Our three sons have all been provided the love and care needed for a healthy life. This matter is a reflection of nature rather than nurture, as our three sons were raised with equal love and support. Gary is a graduate from an acclaimed university and his two brothers have gone on to achieve academic and professional success.”

Facing Struggles

Although we have continued to provide support and guidance, he has not been able to overcome his struggles. No family is exempt from these challenges and they are not unique to our family,” she added. “Our family denounces this form of behavior while recognizing it as an unfortunate complexity of the human body.”

Baldelli-Hunt stepped down as mayor last year telling residents she had health and family issues.

A report about a land deal associated with the former mayor recently was sent to law enforcement, according to GoLocalProv.com, a regional news site.

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