Poker Writer
A police department in Tennessee executed 22 search warrants and recovered over $1.3 million in cash, 100 pounds of kratom, and 144 gambling machines in the small town of Columbia.
Columbia, a town of almost 50,000, sits 45 miles south of Nashville. It’s a fairly small town to have an illegal gambling bust of such substantial size. The search warrants spanned 20 different businesses in the Columbia area.
Undercover officers responded to complaints from residents and business owners about the suspected illegal gambling establishments. Many of the undercover officers participated in illegal gambling and won cash while conducting their investigations. The authorities also searched two private residences. Both — one in Columbia and one in nearby Gallatin — proved to be headquarters for illegal activity.
Reportedly, minors as young as 9 years old received gambling payouts.
Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Haywood commended the work done on the complex investigation:
This was a lengthy and complex investigation, and I want to begin by thanking every law enforcement agency that worked alongside the Columbia Police Department to make this operation possible.
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Thirteen Arrested, ICE Involved in Columbia Bust
Columbia police arrested 13 individuals in connection with the multiple illegal gambling establishments. The report from local WKRN News has photos of some locations that show rooms filled to the brim with gambling machines. Many of the establishments had large-scale gambling rooms with machines.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly got involved and identified two or three of the 13 suspects as illegal immigrants. Haywood said that he expects many more indictments to come for other individuals in the near future as the investigation continues.
There has been no additional information about the individuals arrested or details of the operation released by the authorities thus far.
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