By Staff
REMOVAL Lauderdale County Deputy Kerry Lowe loads a gaming machine into the back of a U-Haul after a search and seizure on June 4. Eighteen people have been arrested; all have been released on $500 bond. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
June 13, 2002
Lauderdale County sheriff's deputies have completed the arrests of 18 people who own stores where allegedly illegal gambling machines were seized last week.
Maj. Ward Calhoun, a spokesman for the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department, said 18 people have been arrested and all have been released on $500 bond.
And, Calhoun said, this may not be the end of it.
Last Tuesday, 19 businesses were raided and more than 110 machines were seized. Video poker, video slot machines and other similar games were removed from 11 county businesses and eight city businesses.
State law makes it a misdemeanor offense to own an illegal gambling device. A second or subsequent charge is a felony offense. The cases will be heard in Lauderdale County Justice Court.
Calhoun said the problem won't go away until businesses take the illegal machines out of their stores.
ARRESTS
The following people were arrested in last week's seizure of illegal gaming devices in
Lauderdale County:
Stacy Nicholson
Don Mathis
Patsy Shelton
Roger Haguewood
Sabe Nicholson
Ray Cook, Sr.
Larry Neal
Charles E. Monsour
Maggie Davenport
Malcolm Phillips
Ronnie Reid
Mary A. Stewart
John B. Poisso Jr.
William K. Ezell
Jeremy R. Stufflebean
Ronnie Hudnall
Ted E. Burton
Robert E. Gossett