Increased Gambling Enforcement Leads to Arrests in Connecticut and Mississippi
Date: 2024-08-12 Author: Alex Crawford Categories: EVENTS
Recent law enforcement efforts in Connecticut and Mississippi to crack down on illegal gambling have resulted in the discovery of illegal slot machines and the arrest of suspects. The efforts are part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal gambling.
In Norwalk, Connecticut, police found seven illegal slot machines at Cocchia’s Liquor Store on Ely Avenue. Two men, Felix Galinda-Castillo and Jose Gerado Fuentes-Lima, were charged in the case on August 7, The Hour reported. During the search of the store, drugs were also found hidden in a beer cooler and two counterfeit firearms.
The following day in Mississippi, law enforcement reported busting a similar illegal operation at an AK Express station on Highway 8 in Grenada County. According to WTVA 9 News, Amy Watson was arrested during the raid. Mississippi Gaming Commission and Alcoholic Beverage Control officers seized one slot machine and destroyed the others on the spot.
Increasing Efforts Across the Country
Connecticut and Mississippi aren’t alone in stepping up their fight against illegal gambling. In Florida, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shut down 11 illegal casinos after a lengthy investigation supported by the Florida Gaming Control Commission. The operation netted 400 slot machines and $403,000 in cash.
The Michigan Gaming Control Commission (MGCB) also continues to aggressively combat illegal gaming machines. In April, the MGCB reported that it had seized 167 gaming machines in the past year and prosecuted 24 people.
“The operation of illegal gaming machines poses a serious threat to citizens because they have no recourse if they are defrauded or misled,” the MGCB said in a recent press release.
These examples demonstrate that the fight against illegal gambling in the United States is ongoing, and authorities are committed to increasing efforts to identify and dismantle such operations across the country.
