The alleged mastermind behind a plot to cheat Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands casino out of $1.4m can’t properly defend himself against his charges because he’s dead, according to the man’s lawyer.

On Monday, a district court in Singapore was scheduled to hear defense arguments from attorneys representing 53-year-old Laotian businessman Sengmanivong Soum, the alleged leader of a 14-member gang that conspired to cheat the Las Vegas Sands casino.

Instead, Sengmanivong’s attorney Shashi Nathan informed the court that his client had suffered a fatal heart attack in late April. The Straits Times reported that the attorney submitted a photo of the death certificate while insisting he was trying to convince Laotian authorities to forward an official copy of the document.

In May 2013, Sengmanivong and his 13 Thai cohorts were accused of attempting to cheat the casino’s baccarat tables via advance knowledge of the order that cards would come of the dealer’s shoe. Sengmanivong faced an additional charge of helping to arrange the theft of a card shoe containing unused playing cards from the casino’s Paiza VIP salon on the day their scam commenced.