The legality of Dallas poker clubs is an ongoing debate among business owners and law enforcement officials.
A Dallas police officer has been arrested on bribery and corruption charges after a sting operation revealed he was involved with an illegal gambling operation, The Blue Dragon Event Center. DPD investigators allege that Edrick Smith was in league with the Blue Dragon’s owners.
Edrick Smith was arrested Thursday and charged with bribery, misusing official records, and gambling promotion. He was released on bail and suspended from his job as he awaits trial.
The Dallas Police Department’s public integrity investigators launched an investigation of Edrick Smith in Novebmer 2016. The probe was launched after Sgt. Latasha Moore reported that she had seen Edrick Smith inside the Blue Dragon Event Center, a local gaming venue police believed to be operating illegally.
In the months that followed, Latasha Moore was instrumental in an investigation into Off. Edrick Smith’s conduct.
Tried to Bribe Fellow Officer
After hearing Sgt. Moore’s story, the public integrity officers had her collect evidence on Smith. Beginning in January 2017, they had her wear a wire to record conversations. Edrick Smith described the Blue Dragon as his “hangout”, while implying he took bribes to keep police out of the gaming venue.
Because Latasha Moore was a supervisor, Officer Smith seemed to believe she would know if any raids had been ordered for Blue Dragon. He asked her to let him know beforehand of any raids, so he could pass the information along to Blue Dragon’s management.
At one point, Edrick Smith told Latasha Moore, “Be on alert for ya boy.”
“Go Cowboys”
In exchange, the records show that Edrick Smith offered to give Latasha Moore a gift card to Pappadeaux, a Cajun seafood restaurant with locations in 8 US states. A few days after making the offer, Edrick Smith gave Moore a $100 Pappadeaux card, which investigators say constitutes a bribe. In March 2017, Edrick Smith is alleged to have told Sgt. Latasha Moore to give him a text message if a raid was impending. She would need to text him the codephrase, “Go Cowboys”.
By that time, public integrity officers had Edrick Smith under surveillance. In April 2017, they saw him in the Blue Dragon. The undercover officer on the scene reported that gambling could be observed from the civilian customers inside the Blue Dragon, so Edrick Smith ignored or overlooked the illegal gambling while inside.
Blue Dragon Records at Police HQ
Back at police headquarters, investigators found that Edrick Smith continually looked up reports on Blue Dragon while logged in under his identity. Smith looked at one of the Blue Dragon reports 14 separate times. He also checked another establishment on Holmes Street, which had been rumored to have illegal gambling activities.
Also, when investigators took a look at Edrick Smith’s smartphone after his arrest, they found “phone calls and texts between him” and the manager of the Blue Dragon. When investigators probed the individuals living at the aforementioned residence on Holmes Street, they found that the manager of the Blue Dragon also lived at that home.
October 2017 Blue Dragon Raid
In October 2017, a Dallas Police Department vice unit executed a search warrant on the Blue Dragon Event Center. Ironically, Police Chief U. Renee Hall disbanded that vice unit in November 2017, claiming sloppy documentation of money taken in raids and other subpar procedures involving enforcement actions.
The owner of the Blue Dragon Event Center was questioned by the Dallas Morning News, but the unnamed owner said, “I’m running a good, clean establishment. If somebody’s up there’s doing something they aren’t supposed to be doing, they’re going to have to stop.”
Dallas SWAT Officer Also Involved
A second Dallas police officer might be in trouble, due to the investigation. Records show that a Dallas SWAT officer was recorded by in-car video talking to Edrick Smith about placing bets. No doubt, investigators have tailed that SWAT officer’s movements since that information became known.
Authorities throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex have been cracking down on poker clubs throughout DFW over the past year. The business owners running gaming venues claim their operations are legal. In such a legal gray area, Blue Dragon Event Center is allowed to operate as law enforcement and local prosecutors sort through the legal quagmire. At the same time, local police keep a close eye on activities there.
