Video Poker Thief Caught

June 27, 2008

It seems that a man who decided to steal to fund his video poker habit has been caught by police using the money he stole. Daniel H. Joslin, 43, is accused of holding up a Northeast Portland gas station twice within one month.

Joslin was arrested after police tracked him down as he was playing video poker on Wednesday. Joslin allegedly held up the Shell Station at 15 Northeast Broadway on Tuesday at 7:53 pm, and previously on June 10th at 10:38 pm.

His M.O. was the same both times – using a large hunting knife to coerce the clerk to give him money and grabbing the cash from the register. He also used a cab to and from the gas station both times.

The police say that while he was being arrested he was actually playing the video poker game with one of the stolen $5 bills. The officers tracked him to the Marathon Tavern on West Burnside Street where the cab driver had dropped him off late Tuesday evening.

Joslin had a wad of bills in his pocket and the one that he was using at the time had the same serial number as one that the gas station had recorded losing in the most recent robbery. Officers Jack Blazer, Ryan Porath and Alicia Russell were the arresting officers.

He was arraigned in court on Thursday, and is facing two counts of first degree robbery. He denied all involvement in the robberies, although police noticed a tattoo on his left hand that matched the one the robber had on his. This was evident in the video surveillance images that were taken from the robbery.