3 guilty in gambling operation

By Ed Runyan

Ohio law prevents a business from giving out gambling prizes valued at more than $10.

WARREN — The three operators of a former gambling house called Treasure Island have pleaded guilty to or found guilty of misdemeanor gambling charges.

The operators also lost 32 Tic Tac Fruit video gambling machines and cash that was seized during a raid a year ago.

Treasure Island was located in the North Road Center on North Road Southeast, just south of Youngstown Road.

Jeff Hoolihan, a city detective, said the investigation that led to the convictions put a stop to several illegal gambling operations in the city.

Three people were convicted of various crimes connected with Wild Cherry Gaming on Youngstown Road near Willard Avenue previously. The raid on that operation, which netted an additional 20 gaming machines, occurred in January 2008.

Besides those, other gaming operations in Warren closed before the raids on Treasure Island and Wild Cherry. They heeded the warning of the police department’s Lt. Gary Vingle that their operations were illegal, Hoolihan said.

On Friday, James Kay and Donald Fleck, both of Girard, and Colin K. McCartney of Youngstown appeared in Warren Municipal Court before Judge Terry Ivanchak.

All faced a number of charges after a raid on Treasure Island on Feb. 6, 2008, in which 32 gambling machines and cash were seized.

Fleck, 48, of East Broadway Street, was convicted of operating a gambling house and possession of criminal tools, both first-degree misdemeanors. He was given a $250 fine on each charge and ordered to pay court costs. He will be on probation for two years.

Kay, 38, of East Kline Street, was convicted of public gambling, a minor misdemeanor, and was ordered to pay a $150 fine and court costs.

Hoolihan said, however, that $271 in seized cash was returned to Kay to pay his fine and court costs. He was the lowest-level offender of the three, the detective said. He will not serve probation.

McCartney, 66, of South Wendover Circle, was convicted of public gaming, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and was fined $250 plus court costs. He will serve two years’ probation.

Hoolihan said an investigation of Treasure Island determined that customers could earn points on the electronic machines and be paid off in gas cards.

The winning customers would be directed to an adjoining building and exchange the cards for cash, minus 10 percent. The cards were in various denominations.

For example, if a customer won $50, he would actually receive $45, Hoolihan said.

Under Ohio law, Hoolihan said, no person can receive anything of value other than a prize of amusement valued at $10 or less.

Authorities said Treasurer Island kept 75 percent of the money gambled and paid customers 25 percent.

In contrast, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery Commission says that 59 percent of money taken in by all state-operated games is returned to the players.

runyan@vindy.com