Informant led cops to gambling house

More details have emerged about the investigation leading to a raid last week on an alleged gaming house in Shelbyville.

Authorities conducted a raid at 101 Tillett Court on the evening of Aug. 12 where high dollar poker games were allegedly held. A total of 33 people were caught up in the raid -- with seven facing felony charges and 26 others charged with gambling, a misdemeanor.

According to a report by Detective Brian Crews of the Shelbyville Police Department, law enforcement had received various complaints about the alleged operation and learned "that on one occasion a subject was robbed leaving the gaming house and that on a separate night a gun was displayed and threats made toward a promoter of the event ..."

Crews wrote that he solicited the help of a confidential informant and did a utilities check on the building, which showed that electricity was billed to Christina Tucker.

The informant told Crews that Tucker and her husband Chad "were the promoters of the illegal gambling establishment," and provided the detective with information on several dates during the investigation.

Crews learned from the informant that the alleged games would typically start at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays.

"According to the informant, players would arrive at that time and eat a meal that was provided by the house and then select which table they were going to play on and what seat they wished to sit in," Crews' report read. "The four tables in the building had minimum buy in of $1,000, $500, $200 and $100."

Crews also stated that the building was allegedly guarded by Victor Gill, who controlled access by "locking and unlocking a door," communicating to promoters inside when someone would enter. Video cameras covering the outside of the building were monitored inside, Crews wrote.

"The informant also stated that players would typically purchase chips from Chad or Christina Tucker who stayed behind the door of the cash office; however players could also purchase additional chips from the individual dealers at the tables," the report read.

Surveillance was also conducted on the building by Crews, Detective Charles Merlo and Special Agent Richie Lewis of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Cars were observed arriving at the building and remaining "until the early hours of Wednesday morning, leave, and then return around noon on Wednesdays."

Crews also wrote that he learned of a gambling house that was raided in La Vergne in December 2006 and "that several of the people that were arrested there were attending the game in Shelbyville."

While watching the building on July 22 from 5:30 until 8 p.m., the investigators observed approximately 35 to 40 people arrive at the alleged gaming house. License tag numbers were also run which came back to the alleged promoters "as well as people previously convicted of gambling in La Vergne, Tennessee."

More surveillance was conducted on July 29, which was recorded on video this time, with 35 to 40 vehicles being observed, Crews wrote.

A week before the raid on Aug. 5, Crews, Merlo and Special Agent Lewis met with an undercover agent, who was issued $2,000 in confidential funds and sent into the alleged gaming house, where he spent two hours.

The undercover agent bought $500 worth of chips and spoke to Chad Tucker, who allegedly told the agent "he was the man in charge of the establishment and that any disputes would be handled by him." The agent was also allegedly introduced to Gill by Tucker.

"The undercover noticed the dealers cutting the pot so that the house could profit from the gambling," Crews wrote.

All the evidence was collected and presented to the district attorney's office, with search warrants drafted for the location on Aug. 8. Felony warrants for the Tuckers, Gill and the four dealers, Neal C. Phillips, Samuel C. Owens, Andrew W. Craze, and Christian E. Jeppsen II, were obtained by Special Agent Lewis.

On the evening of Aug. 12, authorities executed the search warrant and upon entry, noticed games going on at three different tables, the report said. Chris Tucker and Gill were taken into custody, as well as the dealers. Christina Tucker was noticed at the Kangaroo Store on Madison and Hillcrest and was arrested.

Christina refused to speak to agents, Crews wrote; "however Chad admitted that he and his wife were the promoters of the illegal gambling enterprise at 101 Tillett Court. Gill and the four dealers were interviewed and all admitted to being employed by Chad and Christina Tucker."

A total of 26 others were processed and will appear in court on Sept. 23. In all, $16,590 was seized from the cash office, $300 from the tables and $30,978 were taken from the individual players.