The Virginia police broke up an illegal gambling operation in a private home in Manassas last week.
The house, located in the 9000 block of Opera Alley, was raided by state police on Wednesday. According to investigators, the owner had been hosting illegal poker games two nights a week for the past two months.
The police confiscated poker chips and other gambling paraphernalia, plus $8,000-$10,000 in cash from the dealer and the players.
They arrested the alleged dealer, Gregory Allan Campbell of Manassas, and charged him with participating in an illegal gambling operation.
The owner of the house, Richard Douglas Thomas, who allegedly organized the games, was also arrested and charged with operating an illegal gambling business. He said that he had never dreamed that his poker game would be the subject of a raid.
"Everybody here felt safe. Everybody here enjoyed the atmosphere. There was food and the money. We cooked lunch and we made dinner, if it's a daytime game or a nighttime game. We play twice a week… we thought it was robbers, with the rash of robberies here," said Thomas.
The games are illegal because the house took a cut, or “rake,” according to Police Sgt. Tim Neumann. |
