July 27, 2026
Brandon Holveck/USA Today via Reuters Connect
Surveillance cameras at Rivers Casino helped lead to the arrests of Darnell Martin and Eric Blackwell, who allegedly stole firearms out of a vehicle parked at the Fishtown gambling site.
Two Philadelphia men are facing charges for allegedly carrying out a "spree" of thefts from vehicles in casino parking lots.
The latest theft occurred outside Rivers Casino in Fishtown last month. Prosecutors said Darnell Martin, 33, removed two firearms and other items from an unlocked car while Eric Blackwell, 29, served as lookout. Surveillance footage allegedly captured the June 4 theft, leading to Martin's arrest on July 9 and Blackwell's last week.
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Martin is suspected of committed roughly 20 such crimes at casinos in the Philly region, investigators said. They allegedly recovered stolen credit and debit cards, personal checks, clothing and other valuables upon his apprehension, though not the two firearms, which remain missing.
Both men are charged with theft, conspiracy and carrying firearms without a license. Martin faces additional weapons possession charges. They have preliminary hearings scheduled for Tuesday.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday urged gun owners to use "common sense" and ensure their vehicles are locked, citing the case as a warning.
"Stolen firearms present a direct threat to the public, as those guns often end up at the scene of violent crimes or in the hands of someone prohibited from legal possession," Sunday said in a statement.
In 2023, Blackwell pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm in public and served 18 months probation. Martin has been charged numerous times in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties for firearms, theft and conspiracy offenses. He was most recently sentenced to confinement and probation in 2020.
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