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COMPLAINTS LEAD TO GAMBLING RAIDS TUESDAY

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, November 12, 2009 10:51 AM CST

Numerous complaints about alleged gambling in Pine Bluff and Jefferson County resulted in raids at eight locations Tuesday night and the arrest of three people charged with operating a gambling house, a felony.

“I would love to put my efforts somewhere else but we’ve got to do what the citizens ask us to do,” Sheriff Gerald Robinson said about the raids, which involved almost 100 officers from the Pine Bluff Police Department, including the vice and narcotics unit, Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies, and the Tri-County Drug Task Force.

Robinson said investigators seized more than 200 electronic gambling machines, over $11,500 in cash, and three firearms when they served search warrants following an investigation. Thirty-five customers who were in the businesses were issued citations for gambling, a misdemeanor.

“Pine Bluff Police Detective John Hughes, who is assigned to the drug task force, got the search warrants and we divided up into eight teams of police officers and sheriff’s deputies to hit all eight at one time,” Robinson said.

Warrants were served at 3510 W. Sixth Ave., where 22 machines were seized; 312 E. Harding Ave., where 26 machines were seized; 2500 E. Harding Ave., 39 machines; 1618 Brentwood Drive, 37 machines; 1610 Brentwood Drive, 21 machines; 1602 Ohio St., 27 machines; across from the 81-65 truck stop, 34 machines; and Lavender’s Bar, located next to the 81-65 truck stop, six machines.

“We feel like some of those locations knew we were coming because they were closed,” Robinson said, explaining that only 312 E. Harding Ave., and the two locations on Brentwood Drive were operating when the warrants were served.

“We’re going to continue to investigate those, as well as some other locations we’ve gotten complaints about, and do what we can to attack the problem,” the sheriff said.

Several months ago, Prosecuting Attorney Steve Dalrymple sent letters to all of the video arcades in the county, telling them they were operating illegally and to shut down, Robinson said.

“Some of them closed after the letters were sent, but some others didn’t and then there were new ones that opened up,” he said. “If one opens, we know about it because there are people that call and tell us.”

In September, search warrants were served at three alleged illegal gambling establishments, including one at 1602 Ohio St., one of the locations that was raided Tuesday night. Several machines were seized when that warrant was served.

“The people that operate these arcades are trying to get around the law by paying out money and pretending that they’re only giving out small gifts,” Robinson said. “We seized their machines the first time and they were right back in business so maybe the penalties aren’t stiff enough.”

Under Arkansas law, the seized machines could be declared as contraband by a court, and destroyed after all the cases are settled.

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