7 face gambling charges in Warren

Staff report

WARREN

Over three days, seven people are appearing for arraignment in Warren Municipal Court on misdemeanor gambling charges.

The charges follow raids on Players Club, 2700 Mahoning Ave. NW; Lot$-A-Loot, 2004 North Road SE; and Lucky Charms, 2001 Southern Blvd. NW in March in which 150 gambling machines were removed.

Traci Mendenhall, a Warren prosecutor, said charges were filed against all seven on Tuesday, and they began appearing in court on Wednesday. The last ones were to appear today.

Mendenhall said she contacted each defendant and their attorneys regarding the charges. Each is scheduled to return to court Oct. 25.

Each was charged with one count of operating a gambling house, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The seven are Ingo G. Schlaf of Woodlawn Drive, Newbury; Travis L. Bailey of Brookwood Drive, Newbury; Jennifer Bailey of Laurel Drive, Newbury; Miracle Petrino of Fairfield Drive, Boardman; Mandi C. Bero of Duncan Drive, Poland; David Minor of Parkman Road Northwest, Warren; and Robert Dabish of Common Road, Warren, Mich.

Those suspects who have appeared in court so far were released after posting $2,500 personal recognizance bond, meaning they didn’t have to pay anything.

An undercover police officer said he visited one of the locations and played games inside that were “almost identical to the gambling machines commonly seen at legal out-of-state casinos.” Similar investigations occurred at the two other locations.