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TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor
announced that a Pennsylvania man was sentenced
to prison today in the shooting death of
shift manager Raymond Kot at the Trump Taj
Mahal casino in Atlantic City last year.
According
to Director Taylor, Mark E. Magee, 58, of
Norristown, Pa., was sentenced to 30 years
in state prison without possibility of parole
by Superior Court Judge James E. Isman in
Atlantic County. Magee pleaded guilty on
June 7 to first-degree murder for fatally
shooting Kot.
In
pleading guilty, Magee admitted in court
that he shot Kot, 57, of Egg Harbor Township,
inside a card and dice room off of the casino
floor at the Taj Mahal on May 27, 2009.
He told the judge that he believed that
the casinos were cheating patrons by electronically
controlling table games. Magee said he knew
Kot was the shift manager, and he went to
the casino with the intent to kill Kot.
He admitted stalking Kot throughout the
day.
Magee
confronted Kot at approximately 3:50 p.m.,
shooting him three times in the torso with
a five-shot .38 Special revolver loaded
with hollow point bullets. Kot was taken
by ambulance to Atlantic City Medical Center,
where he was pronounced dead. Magee was
arrested outside of the casino shortly after
the shooting by detectives of the Atlantic
City Police Department. Magee dropped the
murder weapon as they approached.
“Mark
Magee will likely spend the remainder of
his life in state prison,” said Attorney
General Dow. “While we have concluded
this prosecution, our thoughts and prayers
remain with Mr. Kot’s family and colleagues,
who lost a loving husband and father and
a great friend.”
“This
sentence serves justice and, we hope, will
help the healing continue for the many loved
ones and co-workers of Mr. Kot who were
devastated by his murder,” said Director
Taylor.
The
murder charge was contained in a Sept. 17,
2009 Atlantic County grand jury indictment.
Deputy Attorney General Yvonne Maher prosecuted
the case for the Division of Criminal Justice
Major Crimes Bureau and represented the
state at the sentencing. The New Jersey
State Police investigated the murder with
assistance from the Atlantic City Police
Department. The investigation was conducted
for the State Police by members of the State
Police Casino Gaming Bureau, the State Police
Crime Scene South Unit, and the State Police
Major Crime Unit.
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