Warren police: Last illegal gambling site shut down

Owner of the gaming
parlor has residences in
Chicago and Fargo, N.D., police said.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — Police have dried up all the illegal gambling parlors in the city that use electronic gaming devices, a detective says.

Detective Jeffrey Hoolihan made the assessment in the wake of a Friday night raid at Wild Cherry Gaming, 2671 Youngstown Road, in which 20 electronic games were seized.

Hoolihan explained that all the parlors were warned two months ago by police Lt. Gary Vingle and city Law Director Greg Hicks that they must conform to Ohio’s gaming law or close down.

All but two closed their doors, he explained.

One has conformed to the law and continues to pay out gifts such as small toys valued at under $10, rather than making cash payouts. Hoolihan said Wild Cherry didn’t heed the warning to stop paying out cash to winners.

“Once they violated the law, they became fair game for us,” the detective said, noting that when it came to the police department’s attention that cash was being paid out, an undercover investigation began.

At Wild Cherry, he noted, there were about 100 toys on display, but they were not given to winners. “There was dust on the dust covers” of the trinkets, Vingle said.

Hoolihan said it hasn’t been determined who owns the machines that were confiscated along with several thousand dollars in cash.

Players paid $5 for a membership card and $3 to get money out of the ATM machine that was also seized. The machines would not accept money to play unless the player’s membership card was also inserted into the devices.

No one has been charged but Hoolihan said charges are being considered against the business owner, manager and employees. Charges will not be filed against the five players in the parlor at the time of the raid.

The building is owned by Burk Enterprises. Hoolihan said company owner Robert Burk was unaware of any illegal activity in the building.

The owner of Wild Cherry, the detective said, lives in Chicago and Fargo, N.D., and the manager is from Chicago. Hoolihan declined to name them.

The business also had a surveillance system that was attached to a wireless computer system. The business owner could watch what was going on from a computer screen in Chicago and Fargo, and the manager from a screen in his office.

The search warrant was obtained from Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. It was obtained with assistance, the detective explained, from the city and county prosecutors’ offices and police Capt. Tim Roberts.

yovich@vindy.com