The six raids in two different countries required over 40 law enforcement personnel. Eleven people were arrested.
Georgia law enforcement officials raided five business in Terrell County in the southeastern part of the state on Tuesday. Search warrants were executed at six locations, hoping to find evidence of illegal commercial gambling. The raids happened after an investigation of financial documents, which suggested that businesses made cash payments on gaming machines. While limited EGM gaming is allowed, payments are illegal.
Several state agencies were involved in the raids, with over 40 different law enforcement personnel involved. The Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Commercial Gambling Unit, and the Georgia Department of Revenue combined on the investigation. Agents from offices in Albany, Americus, and Cuthbert took part in the raids. Locations in the cities of Sasser and Dawson were the targets, according to one GBI official.
GBI Investigation’s Details
Cindy Ledford, who worked as the Special Agent in Charge of the GBI operation, said the investigation began after citizen complaints.
Ledford said, “We began investigating this case in January of 2015 after receiving several anonymous tips and complaints. After we were tipped off about the cash payouts, we began our undercover investigation. From there, we proceeded to check out the suspects’ financial documents and any common denominator linked with money gained illegally.”
Officials with the Georgia Lottery Corporation did not take part in the raids, but they were a key facet of the investigation. The gaming machines in question pay in to the Georgia Lottery Corporation, which can monitor their activity. When an investigation occurs, they GLC audits the revenues, to see if payments correspond to results. In this case, the payments did not correlate, which indicated that money was being paid under the table.
Cash Payouts Are Banned
Such payments are illegal under Georgia gaming and lottery laws. Cindy Ledford emphasized that point in her statements late Tuesday: “Cash payouts of this type are illegal in Georgia.”
Five businesses were searched. These including the USA Gas station on U.S. Highway 82 in Sasser, along with 4 business in Dawson. The Dawson locations were the Citgo Station at 321 South Main Street, the Dawson Food Mart at 125 on Graves Station Road, Boomerang Food & Fuel at 1920 on Albany Highway, and the Budget Inn at 609 East Forrester Drive.
5 Businesses, 6 Locations in All Were Raided
All five of the businesses were licensed to allow gaming machines, or what local media referred to as “coin-operated amusement machines”. Early results from the investigation at the locations indicated that winnings were paid in cash, at least in certain instances.
Eight people were arrested in the raids in Terrell County. The people arrested were 46-year old Ashokkumar Jivabhai Patel, 47-year old Amrish P. Patel, 50-year old Rameshbhai Patel, 32-year old Santoshkumar Patel, 44-year old Nandubhai Darji, 44-year old Prahladbhai Chaudhari, 46-year old Manshukhlal Patel, and 42-year old Joinyp Patel.
Raid in Lee County
A sixth location was searched, but it was a private residence. The residence searched was located in Lee County, and was searched with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office’s assistance.
Three people were arrested in the residential raid in Leesburg, Lee County. Those individuals were 48-year old Hemant Patel, 40-year old Shilpaben H. Patel, and 19-year old Dip H. Patel.
Reggie Rachals, the Sheriff of Lee County, was not willing to jump to conclusions about the raid on the residence in his county. Sheriff Rachals only said, “I am not sure at this time if gambling was going on at the residence. Lee County officers have just been there to assist the GBI.”
Owners and Employees Might Be Involved
Cindy Ledbord described to reporters how the process of legal prosecution would work. She said, “The gaming machines themselves, along with all of the properties, will be seized, including a residence in Lee County. The owners are being arrested, and any employees that are found to have made cash payouts will also be arrested.”
Ron Braxley, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for GBI, praised investigators in the case for a complicated and sometimes difficult process. Braxley told reporters, “This was a big case. We had to show a pattern of behavior and wait for everything to be wrapped up.”
Do Not Take Cash
After years of reporting these stories, it is a consistent pattern that Mom-and-Pop gaming machine operators who get busted do so after anonymous complaints. Such businesses can operate certain types of gaming machines if they do not pay out cash prizes.
Such businesses often provide store items like lottery tickets and groceries (excluding alcohol or tobacco), but are tempted to pay money to winners. When this practice is noticed by locals who disapprove of such gaming, they alert authorities. In other cases, it is alleged that consistent losers might become disgruntled and inform on the gaming operators.
