Ausaf Umar "Omar" Siddiqui 
^{Photo: Gary Reyes, San Jose Mercury News}

Over two years ago, as one of my first posts on Open Salon, I wrote about a former executive of the Fry's electronics retail chain whose extravagant tastes and willingness to bet large sums made him a "whale" to the casinos.

His requirements for Vegas suites led me to dub him The Emperor of Warm Nuts. Among the comps he asked for were certain snacks, beverages, flowers, and a "badger hair shaving brush."

Fridayit was reported that that man,  Ausaf Umar "Omar" Siddiqui, has pleaded guilty to making Fry's vendors pay him kickbacks to carry their products. Six million dollars changed hands -- from the vendors to Siddiqui and eventually to casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and New Jersey.

I don't think they have to give it back. In fact, the report says the casinos are suing him -- because he still owes them millions in gambling losses. 

But there's a twist coming somewhere. According to the report, the fact that the plea bargain is sealed may indicate the federal authroities are going after "a bigger criminal entity." And because it's sealed, the identities of those bigger fish are unknown. 

I wonder what it's like to be a high roller, someone so caught up in his delusional fantasies that he's ripping off people left and right just to be able to gamble more and more -- and then suddenly get arrested and never be able to enter a casino again. Assuming he was a gambling addict, what did he go through? What was hardest to give up? The adrenaline thrill? The private jets? The bowls of warm nuts?  Or maybe, like the main characters of "The Producers," he's finding a way to continue scamming people behind bars.

I'm not surprised he's convinced federal prosecutors that he can deliver their "bigger fish."  He looks slick enough to talk anyone into anything.