One way to beat the machine

BURLINGTON, Iowa - Frustration and anger over losses compelled a homeless man to bash a slot machine until it broke, an eastern Iowa man told a judge on Monday.

Truy Huu Phung, 41, admitted to losing his cool at the Catfish Bend Casino and also pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal mischief in the incident, which was caught on surveillance tape.
Phung, a homeless man from the Davenport area, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3. He is expected to seek a deferred judgment and probation.
Phung was granted pretrial release on Monday, with the condition that he report to probation officers. He told the judge he would be staying at the same Davenport-area homeless shelter he used before his arrest.
Phung had been in custody since mid-August, when police arrested him after surveillance footage showed him repeatedly punching a slot machine with a closed fist.
After the machine broke, Phung walked out without anyone noticing, but police used the footage and a Player's Club card from the casino to track him down.