RAY CITY, GA -
A Ray City convenience store is under investigation after Ray City Police raided it and seized gaming machines.
So far, investigators have not arrested anyone, but they say they may charge multiple people. WALB News Ten's Lydia Jennings tells us about the illegal operation.
Five electronic gambling machines sit in the Ray City Police Department hallway. All were seized from the Ray City Corner Market on Patten Avenue yesterday after police opened an investigation into an illegal gambling operation.
"We had people that knew of the activities that were going on down there and they came to us, and in response to the citizens complaints, that's what prompted the investigation," said Ray City Police Chief, Roy Bamburg.
Police say the machines were hidden in a room behind the beverage coolers in the store. Bamburg says the machines are not illegal but how the customers were getting paid-out was.
"The state of Georgia allows the machines for recreational purposes only. They're allowed by state law to issue store credits which they can buy anything in the store with the exception of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or gasoline products," said Bamburg.
Police say instead of giving store credit for customer's winnings, they'd give them cash.
The more money customers put into the machines, the more credits they could earn. They would take those credits and redeem them with the gas station clerk, who would take the money right from the register.
"They're not there to win a loaf of bread or a jug of milk, they're there to win cash money. And that, even stated on the machines, is illegal," said Bamburg.
Police seized trunks full of documents, hard drives, and a lot of cash. But Bamburg says they're not ready to make any arrests just yet. "Now becomes the grunt work, the documentation, the sifting through the records to see exactly how in depth this problem is."
Bamburg believes the illegal gambling had been going on for years, and it took a lengthy undercover investigation to obtain a search warrant for the store.
Police say they're looking into the store owners, manager, and clerks as they decide what charges to file.
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Here is a news release from the Ray City Police Department-
The Ray City Police Department executed a search warrant at the Ray City Corner Market located at 305 Patten Avenue in Ray City. Acting on scores of complaints by local citizens concerning possible illegal gambling activities at the location the Ray City Police Department conducted an investigation and secured a search warrant.
During the execution of the search warrant a number of electronic gambling machines were seized along with a sizeable quantity of cash and other evidentiary items.
Chief Roy Bamburg said: "Due to the number, and detail, of the complaints we have received we felt this was an appropriate way to handle the situation. I would like to personally thank all the citizens who provided information and assistance and also the staff at City Hall and the members of our Police Department. All of our officers, even the part time officers and off-duty officers, helped in the effort and I am proud of each of them."
Chief Bamburg also reported that the store owners were very cooperative and admitted that the decision to allow illegal gambling on the machines was a bad one and one they regret.
Bamburg had heard rumors of the activity earlier and had personally warned them that such activity would lead to an enforcement action should it occur. The owners said today that they did not intend to have any more of the devices in their store.
Copyright 2013 WALB. All rights reserved.
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