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CINCINNATI - Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced Thursday that three people are facing charges in connection to a string of robberies targeting winners at local casinos. 
Deters said Kenyatta Erkins, 35, Ugbe Ojile, 34, and Amy Hoover, 24, are suspected in at least 26 armed robberies in an around Hamilton County in the past year.

Investigators said the three would target elderly people who won large amounts of money, follow them back to their hotels or homes and rob them at gunpoint.

The three were arrested at Hollywood Casino around 4 a.m. Thursday. An undercover sheriff's deputy posed as an elderly person using a walker. Deters said the three followed the undercover deputy back to where they believed he was staying when they were taken into custody.

�This is another example of excellent cooperation between the Hamilton County Sheriff�s Department, Cincinnati Police Department and the Hamilton County Prosecutor�s Office leading to the resolution of serious and violent crimes,� said Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis.

The defendants are suspected of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

�These offenders were targeting vulnerable patrons who had won considerable sums of money. They put these victims in serious harms way. I am proud of the way that the Sheriff�s Office and other police agencies responded to this dangerous situation,� Deters said.

Erkins and Ojile are charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. Hoover is charged with one count of aggravated robbery.

Both Erkins and Ojile face up to 28 years in prison. Hoover faces up to 10 years in prison.

All three are currently behind bars at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

More charges are expected to be filed next week as the investigation continues.

Deters said if anyone was robbed at gunpoint after leaving a casino and did not call police to contact the prosecutor's office at (513)946-3000.

http://www.wcpo.com/dpp/news/region_indiana/3-charged-in-local-casino-robberies