A man from Cincinnati has been sentenced to 52 years in prison in Indiana for robbing a casino at gunpoint and taking a hostage in 2024.
Prosecutors in Dearborn County charged Daniel Birdseye on March 5, 2024, after he was arrested for the incident at Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg.
According to prosecutors, Birdseye, 52 years old at the time, entered the Penn Entertainment-operated casino on March 2, 2024, armed with a gun. He demanded money from a cage worker at gunpoint and received several stacks of cash.
Birdseye then took a casino employee hostage.
“You are going to be my hostage and get me out of this building,” Birdseye was heard saying on surveillance video during the trial. He pointed the gun at the employee as they walked towards an exit for workers.
Once outside, Birdseye released the Hollywood staff member.
Fast Apprehension
Using drones, law enforcement quickly located Birdseye. They found him seeking refuge in the nearby Oxbow Nature Conservancy, a 70-acre wetland where the Great Miami and Ohio rivers meet. Birdseye was spotted by the drone hiding in the brush.
During his arrest, Birdseye was found with a loaded 9mm firearm and the cash wrapped in casino bank wrappers. Correctional officers testified that Birdseye was aggressive in jail, assaulting deputies and leading to his placement in a padded cell.
Birdseye reportedly incurred significant debts from gambling at Ohio and Indiana casinos, including Hollywood Lawrenceburg. Driven by financial difficulties, he resorted to robbery to try to recover his losses.
In May, a jury convicted him of kidnapping, criminal confinement with a deadly weapon, intimidation with a deadly weapon, and battery on public safety officials. Birdseye pleaded guilty to armed robbery with a deadly weapon but denied the other charges.
On September 8, Judge Aaron Negangard in the Dearborn Circuit Court sentenced Birdseye to 52 years in prison, with no suspended time.
Planned Crime
Prosecutors revealed in court that before the March 2 incident, Birdseye had left a note for his employer implying he wouldn’t return. Investigators found that Birdseye was being sued by Venmo for having a negative account balance of $5,730.09.