Poker dealers found guilty

A Bedford County jury found two men guilty Tuesday of helping to run an illegal poker house in Shelbyville last year.

Andrew Welsh Craze and Samuel Cory Owens were both charged with one count each of aggravated gambling promotion, a class E felony, and will be sentenced Nov. 5 by Circuit Court Judge Lee Russell.

Sentencing can bring a term of one to two years in jail and a $3,000 fine.

Both men remain free on bond but are not allowed to take part in any gaming activity, Russell ordered, and their travel is limited to middle Tennessee with the exception of child visitation.

Craze and Owens were two of the card dealers caught in a raid executed Aug. 12, 2008 at 101 Tillett Court, where high dollar poker games were held.

Thirty-three people were caught in the raid; seven were charged with felonies and 26 others with misdemeanor gambling.

Authorities said during the trial that the raid occurred on "a slow night" and that as many as 50 to 60 people would participate.

The raid followed an investigation by the Shelbyville Police Department, the 17th Judicial District Drug Task Force, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Officers took $48,000 in cash, gambling paraphernalia, a small amount of marijuana and firearms in the raid.

In July, the alleged ringleaders of the gaming operation, James Chad Tucker and his wife, Christina Tucker, entered guilty pleas in Eastern District Federal Court in Chattanooga.

The Tuckers were indicted in March on violation of 18 USC 1955, prohibition of illegal gambling businesses, according to federal court documents.

The two other card dealers, Neal C. Phillips and Christian E. Jeppsen II, have already pleaded guilty in Bedford County to their involvement.

Guard talks

Most of Monday's testimony came from members of the Shelbyville Police Department, the TBI and one of the undercover officers that played in the casino, who detailed the investigation.

One of the witnesses testifying Tuesday was Victor Gill, who worked security at the casino. He said he was paid an average of $80 to $100 a night for watching the parking lot and the door of the building.

Gill said he was paid by Chad Tucker and was introduced to the dealers, including Craze and Owens, as well as witnessed the ongoing poker games inside the establishment.

The security guard also testified that Owens claimed that he would make anywhere from $500 to $700 a night dealing the cards, but also testified under cross-examination that Craze wasn't present for some of the game nights, which typically occurred on Tuesdays.

Gill has already testified before a federal grand jury in Chattanooga about his involvement with the Tuckers' operation and pleaded guilty to an amended charge of facilitation of aggravated gambling promotion earlier this year.

Dealers speak

Owens also took the stand Tuesday, and was questioned by defense attorneys about his responsibilities at the gaming house. He said the operation was completely run by the Tuckers and that his only job was to deal the cards, for which he received an average of $250 per night each week in tips from players.

But under cross-examination by assistant district attorney Mike Randles, Owens admitted that he knew what he was doing was illegal and that there would be no gambling unless someone was dealing cards. Owens also testified that he collected a "rate" for the house from each of the winning pots.

Craze took the stand as well and did not deny dealing cards or taking tips, but he said he got no "cut" of the proceeds from the Tuckers. He also said that he was no part of the enterprise, but "just dealt cards."

Both of the dealers also claimed they weren't at the gaming table when the police raided the building, but were in a back room.

However, when Randles asked Craze if he was collecting the rate from each winning pot that would go to the Tuckers, Craze admitted he did and that he cashed in chips with the Tuckers that he was given as tips.

In the closing arguments, Randles said that both men participated in the illegal enterprise and that it "was not a friendly game around a dining room table."

"The house didn't make a penny without these guys," Randles said.

But defense attorneys said that the alleged dealers should not be found guilty of aggravated gambling promotion, but a lesser charge.

Attorneys for Craze and Owens also said that Randles "wants to make a big deal about dealing some cards," when it was the Tuckers that actually ran the illegal casino.