Police raid 2 illegal gambling locations in Summit County, recover cash, guns, drugs
More than a half of a million dollars in cash, along with 11 guns, an AR-15, and 10 pounds of marijuana were found at two illegal gambling sites, said Springfield Township police. Springfield Township Sergeant Eric East said officers, along with Metro SWAT and the Cuyahoga Falls SWAT team, executed multiple search warrants at a home and business in Springfield Township. Sergeant East also said three ballistic vests were also found when the search warrants were executed. Derrick Chatman, 39, of Springfield Township is charged with drug trafficking, weapons under disability and possession of drugs. Chatman is currently locked up in the Summit County Jail. Sergeant East said additional charges are pending.
Georgia trainer gets five years for role in dogfighting and cocaine trafficking ring
A dogfighting trainer and breeder from Suwanee, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday for his role in what prosecutors called a large multistate dogfighting and cocaine trafficking ring. Vernon Vegas, 49, was given the statutory maximum sentencing after pleading guilty last September to conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture. U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III also sentenced Vegas to three years of supervised release following his imprisonment and ordered him to forfeit $116,819 in seized cash and pay a $10,000 fine. Eleven people, including Vegas, were indicted on federal charges a year ago after a law enforcement investigation into a criminal organization involved in both cocaine distribution and organized dogfighting, which operated across North Georgia, Florida and Alabama from May 2019 until February 2020.
Jockey Mychel Sanchez Suspended After Betting Against Himself in Pennsylvania
Mychel Sanchez was suspended indefinitely by 1/ST Racing on Friday. That’s after it was reported officials in Pennsylvania suspended the thoroughbred jockey for betting against his mounts. Sanchez was pulled from races on cards for Friday and Saturday at Laurel Park in Maryland. Maryland Racing Commission Executive Director J. Michael Hopkins said he learned stewards in Pennsylvania suspended Sanchez 60 days for betting violations. That’s according to the Paulick Report, a horse racing news site, “You can’t bet against yourself,” Hopkins told the Paulick Report on Friday. In 43 races this year, Sanchez has hit the board 18 times, including nine wins. He’s produced $244,327 in purse earnings for his connections so far this year. Last year, Sanchez won 155 times in 1,008 races. He ran in the top three 46 percent of the time and recorded earnings of $5.7 million.
Focus on Xhaka Yellow Card as Bookmaker Reports $420,000 in Suspicious Bitcoin Bets
At least $420,000 was placed on an Arsenal player receiving a yellow card in the last ten minutes of a game earlier this season via a single bookmaker, according to a report from The Athletic. The suspicious bets prompted the operator to flag the incident to the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). As first reported by Casino.org last week, the yellow card in question is believed to be the one midfielder Granit Xhaka picked up in the 85th minute against Leeds when he appeared to time-waste inexplicably over a free kick. The incident jarred because Arsenal were leading 4-1 at the time and there was no strategic reason to waste time. Several gamblers took to Twitter immediately after the game to highlight that around $65,000 had been matched suddenly on the Betfair betting exchange shortly before the booking, plunging the odds from 9/4 to 4/5.
MGM Springfield Police Confrontation Leaves One Man Critically Wounded, Cop Injured
A 24-year-old Springfield, Mass. man was hospitalized in critical condition early Thursday after getting shot by one or more police officers at the MGM Springfield parking garage overnight. Minutes earlier, he allegedly injured a Springfield police officer with a flare gun. The incident began at about midnight when shell casings were found in the unnamed man’s backpack by casino security guards, MassLive, a regional news site in Massachusetts, reported. The guards prevented him from entering the gaming property.
Then, officers stopped the man outside of the casino. While in an alley, he allegedly fired the flare gun. A Springfield police officer, who is part of the Gaming Enforcement Unit, was injured. The suspect then fled into the casino’s parking garage. He again allegedly fired the flare gun twice at police officers who were pursuing him, according to WGGB, a local TV station. An unknown number of officers then shot the man at about 12:10 am. Springfield police officers immediately provided first aid to the suspect. He was then transported to Baystate Medical Center. He has “serious injuries” and is reportedly in critical condition at the Springfield hospital, police said in a statement.
For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION
Casino Watch Focus 