Georgia- from www.mysouthwestga.com - 18 people in Tift County are charged with either operating an illegal gambling place with cash pay-outs and/or operating an adult entertainment establishment.
Approximately 35 video gaming machines were seized from local convenience stores in early July. Tuesday, 18 people were arrested and charged with keeping a gambling place. Undercover agent say they also discovered two “VIP Rooms” with strippers.
Lt. Porter Jackson says an undercover agent discovered more was happening than illegal cash payouts at two Tifton locations. Porter says the agent went to the “What’s Next???” club on Tift Avenue, purchased a beer, played a video gaming machine and received a cash pay out, and then discovered a “VIP room” where there were several strippers performing.
Veoliver “Cadillac” Curry, the owner of “What’s Next???” has been charged with operating an adult establishment without a license and operating an adult establishment within 750 feet of a government building. Also, undercover agents during the course of the investigation learned that Curry allegedly rented a large room at Mi Tierra Restaurant in June and also used it as a “VIP room” where strippers performed. Fred “Dirty” Ferguson was also charged with operating an adult entertainment establishment without a license and selling alcohol during prohibited hours at “What’s Next???”
Jackson said earlier that the video gaming machines themselves weren’t illegal in Georgia but the law specifies that those operating the machines are prohibited from paying in cash and that they should pay in certificates that can be used to purchase store merchandise. He said the people charged were the employees in the establishments who allegedly physically made the cash payment to customers as witnessed by the investigators in the case.
The following people were arrested and charged with one or more counts of “keeping a gambling place.”
• Odis Hudson - South Georgia Motors (one count)
• Brenda Bass - South Georgia Motors (one count)
• Umair Sabir - Citgo at Seventh Street and Virginia Avenue (one count)
• Maria Falcon - Lil’ Pantry - Ferry Lake Road - (two counts)
• Sherry Albright - Lil’ Pantry - Ferry Lake Road - (two counts)
• Eric Smith - Lil’s Bar - (one count)
