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 Fifteen persons who were facing misdemeanor gambling charges pled guilty Tuesday before Judge Charles Rich and are to pay fines and court costs totaling $327, plus give up any money that was seized during the raid of an alleged gaming house in Shelbyville last month. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge] |
Meanwhile, others facing charges sought pre-trial diversion, while those facing felony gambling counts were either in the process of hiring an attorney or had their next court date set.
On Aug. 12, a raid at 101 Tillett Court took place 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 misdemeanor gambling.
At first, the 26 facing the misdemeanor charges were asked to appear in the third floor courtroom due to a limitation of space in the first floor chambers, but the sudden availability of the second floor courtroom resulted in all appearing together for Tuesday's General Sessions court docket.
Judge Charles Rich ordered that the 15 who pleaded guilty must pay a $50 fine, plus court costs, which would total $327, plus forfeit any money that was seized the night of the gaming raid.
The two alleged ringleaders of the gaming house, 38-year-old James Chad Tucker and his wife Christina Tucker, 37, of Meadowlark Drive, are represented by attorney Clay Parker. Each were charged with one count of aggravated gambling promotion -- a class E felony -- and one count of possession of gambling devices, according to court records.
The five others facing felony charges of aggravated gambling promotion, Neal C. Phillips, 27, Woodbury; Samuel C. Owens, 27, Smyrna; Victor G. Gill, 48, Shelbyville; Andrew W. Craze, 26, Oliver Springs; and Christian E. Jeppsen II, 24, of Bell Buckle are either in the process of hiring an attorney or will have one appointed by the court.
According to Assistant District Attorney William Bottoms, those with misdemeanor offenses that are filing for pretrial diversion have a court date set for Oct. 21 while the persons facing felony gambling charges will return to court Nov. 18.
The raid conducted last month followed a four-month investigation by Shelbyville police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, along with an area FBI agent.
Authorities seized $48,000 in cash, gambling paraphernalia, a small amount of marijuana and firearms in the raid. Detective Brian Crews of the Shelbyville Police Department headed the investigation.
Surveillance was conducted on the building for several nights and authorities also had undercover agents in the building.
Crews said the Tuckers had a doorman, Gill, providing security for the gaming house and video cameras covering the outside of the building. Two-way radios were allegedly used so that the operators could know when a player would enter the structure.
Once inside, authorities found four commercial poker tables, each with room for 10 players plus the dealer.
"It was high stakes poker games where they were playing Texas hold 'em," Crews said in August, with one table having a "buy in" of $1,000, another at $500 and two tables with a $200 "buy-in."
"It was no limit, from what we understand," Crews said of the games.
So much evidence was taken from the building that it took a large U-Haul truck to carry it away. The TBI was called in because of the size of the operation, Crews said.
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Gesh I hope none of you play the stock market because it is a bigger gamble than anything these guys did :>)
We can spend 4 months to stop people from playing cards, but we cant spend 4 seconds to remove the illegal immmigrants who have caused infinitly more damage.
The next time a picture and title is posted of this sort in any newspaper, it should be each and every CEO of the major corporations that gambled all of their money away.
I mean really, which is the true crime here? That was their own money, nobody else's... So the government needed taxes from it, so this is their story.
This is what happens when you use the devil's calling cards.
When was the last time you heard of a raid on Munchkin or Uno,Scrabble,Pictionary,Risk or Settlers of Cataan?
Have the eastern Europeans and the triads started battling over Rook,Yahtzee,Apples to Apples,checkers,or Fluxx?
Maybe,some of the Native Americans in the area could set up a riverboat on the Duck with buffets and nightclubs dedicated to the needs of chessplayers and fans of Stratego,Trivial Pursuit,Bingo,and Mah-Jong.
(Too bad they weren't playing for M&M's or pretzels.
They could have eaten their winnings before they were confiscated.)
They might not have needed a lot of extra security if they'd been playing purely friendly games without the risk of addiction,financial ruin and the taint of crime.
It's been said that the true gambler plays until he has nothing left to lose and the House always wins.
The "losers" here seem to be coming out of this with their lives pretty well intact.
Let's hope they know when to fold 'em and find a way to be winners without risking more than they can afford to lose.
I gambled big time while driving to M'boro to work this morning.
Grease monkey if it was up to the Police the illegal's would be out of here, but it's not up to them. They don't make the laws, they just enforce the ones on the books. Why don't you apply for a police officers job and help out!
I know the " grease monkey" was talking about the mexicans but I think we have a lot more to woory about in shelbyville right now than a mexican getting a job that you probably had the chance to take but didn't take so GET over it...
It's nice to see that our ex sheriff Clay Parker, put all the time he was late for meetings or forgot to bring what he was supposed to bring to the meetings,that he got to leave early for,to pass his classes to be a lawyer. Maybe now he will give Mr.Norton a run for his money on cheap or free legal advice.Wonder if Mr Boyce will be his para legal at the end of his term??
They may of broken up this gamlbing place. But there will be more where they don't know of.
A fifty dollar fine is nothing to the sky is the limit poker game.
why dont them guys smile for the camera thay are making news lol
I just wonder how many of our "Good Ole Boys & Gals" were warned ahead of time that this "raid" would be taking place. I guess they'll be going after the unscrupulous store owners who pay off on video poker/slot machines next right? Only when pigs fly my friends...only when pigs fly.
Tattoos & Scars you are right thers alot of video poker/slot machines gambling going around some are hiden at stores and thay are suppost to be out in the open but thay hide em and try to get by just a bunch of crooks
Cordell,
The term "illegal" means against the law right?
$327
That's all they have to pay! Do you think they even confiscated enough money to even pay for this raid. The gamblers are all of us tax payers who put our hard earned money into this raid. Looks like we lost!
why was all this time, money, and effort spent to do nothing this is another big joke ha-ha
I was really angry with Mr. Gill, he knew what he was doing was wrong. To think that he teaches our children, is scary.Hope this wakes a lot of parents up, and they remove their children from his classes.They all look at him as their HERO!!!! SHAME on you Mr. Gill!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mandy1 if you knew anything about Victor Gill previously you knew he was a fine up standing citizen that definitely contributed to the well being of many kids in Bedford County. In all the years that i have known Victor Gill he has always been there for others young and old. If his students looked up to him like a hero it only shows how much he was committed and dedicated in his teaching. We must remember heroes are human also, i can think of lots of other things that are much worse than this minor infraction, while people don't condone what he did, there is no way that considering all of the good that Mr Gill has done he should be "run out of town". We are all human and we all make mistakes and if i know Victor he has deeply apologized to his students. I want to Tell Victor Gill to keep your head and spirits up, and to keep doing what you have been doing.
Is it not strange that the county police dept. was not in on this raid? Could it be because the Chief deputy Sheriff's wife was dealing cards for these people? It is also very strange that her name has not been brought up in these court proceedings?
A thousand bucks for a buy in is "high stakes"? I guess Detective Crews has never seen real gambling. I'm betting (figuratively, officer) that they spent WAY more than forty grand on the "investigation".
I hope Sheriff Boyce investigates why one of his employee's was dealing cards at an illegal card game. I believe the Chief Deputy's wife is also an employee of the Sheriff's department. The best thing this community ever done was vote Clay Parker out of office. Let's make sure we keep honest, dedicated, and hardworking law officals in our public offices. Clay Parker is right where he needs to be...defending the criminals he protected while serving as Sheriff. If in fact she truly was at this game...her head needs to roll on out the front door. In addition, the discussions I post a response to is SOLELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION AND NOT THAT OF ANY FAMILY MEMBER OR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ANY FAMILY MEMBER. It is MY RIGHT AND expression of FREE SPEECH.
The law is the law. If you think that the tax payer's money would be better spent in other places, as far as law enforcement goes. Then get off your collective butts and do something to change the law. To write in a news blog of how stupid it is to raid these places, is an easy thing to do. If you really think its wrong and a waste. Then work to change the law that requires law enforcement to do so. It is easy to arm chair quarterback everything that goes on around you, why don't you use that energy to make a change. As for now the officers were doing what the state law requires them to do, nothing more.
Mr Gill, made a bad choice, we all do from time to time. He is a respectable man, being a security gaurd falls in the line of work that he likes, and is experienced in doing. He made a wrong choice of the work place. He will always have my respect, and my childrens as well. I say to Vic. Keep your head up, and spirits high as well. You are one of my favorite Cousins, full of life and spirit. We all drop the ball, on good choices. You know what to do to make things right, with those that look up to you, do so, and continue your goals. God Bless.
"As for now the officers were doing what the state law requires them to do, nothing more"
Then how about they arrest some of the illegals for being here ILLEGALY? I believe they're supposed to uphold ALL laws, not just pick and choose.
trouble408 and blackeyesuze62
You two do not have all of the facts about the Sheriff's Department. The female that you are referring to is not the Chief Deputies wife. She is in fact Captain David Williams Sr's wife, Pam Harris. She would be Chief Deputy David Williams Jr's step-mother. Her name was one of the ones listed in the paper as well as her son, Edwin Harris. You may remember him as the one that did run the old Players pool hall on Madison St. It seems the Sheriff's Department will always be a family run department. The Chief Deputy, a Captain and a patrol Sergeant are all kin. Oh and the Chief Deputy's wife also works there as a secretary.