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Texas Star Casino seized
Published April 11, 2006
FREEPORT — U.S. Marshals recently seized the Texas Star Casino gambling boat for alleged non-payment of services to an electrical company.
Instrumentation Inc. is owed about $40,000 for electrical work performed on the 167-foot ship since January, Instrumentation attorney Ernest M. Powell said.
However, Texas Star Casino’s chief executive officer, Michael O’Brien, said Instrumentation Inc. is trying to collect bills on work that wasn’t performed and some supplies that weren’t received.
U.S. Marshals took possession of the vessel Friday afternoon under a court order, said Marianne Matus, an agency spokeswoman. Powell said the U.S. Marshals were involved because this is a federal claim based on maritime law, not a state claim.
In this case, Texas Star Casino can move the ship within the port, but not out of the port until the parties come to an agreement or a judge acts on the matter, Matus said.
No deadline has been established for settlement of the claims.
“In my experience, in most cases lawyers will come to some kind of agreement in the matter,” Matus said. “It’s to their advantage for settling it quickly.”
Powell agreed these matters usually are handled with a settlement.
“Obviously, boat owners and ship owners don’t like their vessels being under arrest because it could be sold,” Powell said. “Many times these are settled rather quickly, but not always.”
O’Brien said he hasn’t had nonpayment problems with any other contractors and plans to contest this seizure.
“I will contest this however long it takes and whatever it takes,” he said.
David Smelscer, owner of Instrumentation Inc., said the situation is unfortunate, but also must be addressed.
“It’s just one of those things that you have to do when people don’t pay their bills,” he said.
Meanwhile, work on and around the boat at Sailfish Drive has continued as usual, O’Brien said. Texas Star Casino employees are working on the vessel and on the 12,000-square-foot boarding facility currently housed in a large white tent next to the boat.
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