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Poker rooms raided

20,250 Views | 117 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by Diggity
Liquid Wrench
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https://abc13.com/police-raid-two-houston-poker-rooms/5280339/


Quote:

Nine people were arrested and charged Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering.
Wait wait wait, what would have ever given authorities the idea that poker rooms might be tied to money laundering? I mean, of all the places to look...

Quote:

"Poker rooms are illegal in the State of Texas," District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "We are changing the paradigm regarding illegal gambling by moving up the criminal chain and pursuing felony money laundering and engaging in organized crime charges against owners and operators.
I always wondered if this business model had been thoroughly researched.
Martin Q. Blank
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How can you launder money through something that itself is illegal?
MAS444
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AG
Are either or both of these ones that Lance Z. promotes on the radio?
Noble07
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AG
Yeah, he promotes prime social
Guitarsoup
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Glad HPD took care of all real crime such as people driving in turnarounds with an expired sticker and hpd officers faking search warrants to kill am old, poor veteran and his wife so they can focus on this.
Al Bula
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AG
Martin Q. Blank said:

How can you launder money through something that itself is illegal?
uninformed. The games do not make money. They charge for membership and food/booze.

It is grey area but not illegal.

I myself am not a poker player and not much of a gambler but these establishments have definitely found a way to make money that butthurts someone powerful.
E
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MAS444 said:

Are either or both of these ones that Lance Z. promotes on the radio?


Lol yes! Prime Social got hit.

The manager Steve Farshid comes on the radio show to promote when they're there.

Tomorrow's morning show should be pretty interesting...
Redstone
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I've played in both Harris and Brazos counties.

Overall I did very well (no limit).
Mas89
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Do you think Louisiana and Oklahoma casinos make "contributions" to our elected Texas officials?
Or maybe the law firms that represent the casinos? Surely not...
ATM9000
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I'm not surprised by this. It wasn't like it was overtly expensive to play there and, when you figure in rent and how much staff they ran, when I went at least, I had a hard time calibrating how an owner would make substantial profits on the operation. I always had a hard time believing any owners would stake a business that is 'meh' from a legal perspective for fairly average returns unless there was some other revenue stream beyond the club fees and food/drink sales.
Al Bula
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Personally I don't see why a private restaurant/bar should not be able to allow patrons to sit at a table and play cards.

The Louisiana mafia (using this term to encompass lots of haters) are super pissed because because they are losing out on the green.
Bison
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ATM9000 said:

I'm not surprised by this. It wasn't like it was overtly expensive to play there and, when you figure in rent and how much staff they ran, when I went at least, I had a hard time calibrating how an owner would make substantial profits on the operation. I always had a hard time believing any owners would stake a business that is 'meh' from a legal perspective for fairly average returns unless there was some other revenue stream beyond the club fees and food/drink sales.


So the rooms in Austin and Dallas are also all just money laundering operations? If your analysis of the business model is correct, that it stands to reason that they obviously must be up to no good.

tk for tu juan
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One Louisiana casino has a partnership with the poker club in Katy. Seems like a nice setup for them, prizes earned at the poker club helps drive business to the casino (or it helps with money laundering)

https://freerollspokerclubs.com/coushatta/
JSKolache
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Shife said:

Martin Q. Blank said:

How can you launder money through something that itself is illegal?
uninformed. The games do not make money. They charge for membership and food/booze.

It is grey area but not illegal.

I myself am not a poker player and not much of a gambler but these establishments have definitely found a way to make money that butthurts someone powerful.
More like: ambitious county DA wants to make an easy high profile win, get some free press, in prep for run at higher office
W
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wonder when "all charges will be dropped?"

something doesn't add up here
Stat Monitor Repairman
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Look! Some people are doing something that they like and minding their own business!

Could be tied to money laundering, funding terror, child trafficking or worse!

Ogg cracking down on a bunch of dudes playing cards and tryna avoid nagging wives.

Land of the free mother****ers!.
ATM9000
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Bison said:

ATM9000 said:

I'm not surprised by this. It wasn't like it was overtly expensive to play there and, when you figure in rent and how much staff they ran, when I went at least, I had a hard time calibrating how an owner would make substantial profits on the operation. I always had a hard time believing any owners would stake a business that is 'meh' from a legal perspective for fairly average returns unless there was some other revenue stream beyond the club fees and food/drink sales.


So the rooms in Austin and Dallas are also all just money laundering operations? If your analysis of the business model is correct, that it stands to reason that they obviously must be up to no good.



I'll be the first to admit my analysis could be off and I never said they were 'just' money laundering operations. But when tons of these open overnight, all are fairly privately held and smaller (1-2 site operations), I don't think it is unfair to ask questions.

Generally, people are a bit naive as to how many small businesses launder money.
Stat Monitor Repairman
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I'm guessing that Ogg went to these places for a campaign donation and they said no.

This is what happens when you don't pay.

You wanna do business in this town you got to play ball with the politicians.

No different than Mexico or anywhere else.

In the USA we just do corruption with a little more class and a little less violence.

We'll get there though.
Ag_07
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Yall are completely overlooking the most important part of the story...

Quote:

"If the D.A.'s office had a problem with this and they (clubs) said, 'We don't care, we're going to keep doing it,' sure, but what effort was made to communicate with people who have communicated with the police department and D.A.'s office from the very beginning, to make sure what they were doing is not a violation of the law?" said Wayne Dolcefino, who has done work for Prime Social, first researching the law and then promoting numerous charity and special events.


KW02
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He was their spokesman last night on the news. I knew there must be something going on at those places if he is the spokesman.
SockDePot
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E said:

MAS444 said:

Are either or both of these ones that Lance Z. promotes on the radio?


Lol yes! Prime Social got hit.

The manager Steve Farshid comes on the radio show to promote when they're there.

Tomorrow's morning show should be pretty interesting...


They came right out and talked about it for the first 15, and they're back on it again now.
Ag_07
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They did say on the news that they were not after the players. This was an operation targeting the owners/operators and levying felony charges for laundering and organized crime.
91poohah
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Dumb... unless serious racketeering or money laundering were actually happening, then this is just dumb...
Broba Fett
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If the house doesn't take a rake, it's not illegal. Someone else is losing money and got pissed
Betoisafurry
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This is horse***** How about you go bust some of the **** hole game rooms along long point and maybe arrest a few illegals too? Oh wait, that would be discriminatory and require actual work.
Texaggie7nine
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ATM9000 said:

I'm not surprised by this. It wasn't like it was overtly expensive to play there and, when you figure in rent and how much staff they ran, when I went at least, I had a hard time calibrating how an owner would make substantial profits on the operation. I always had a hard time believing any owners would stake a business that is 'meh' from a legal perspective for fairly average returns unless there was some other revenue stream beyond the club fees and food/drink sales.
My brother runs one about an hour outside of Houston. It's been doing ok. I'm sure he's not raking in money but it's more just a hobby of his that he's making money with. There's no need for shady dealings to keep the payroll and make a little change.
7nine
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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Broba Fett said:

If the house doesn't take a rake, it's not illegal. Someone else is losing money and got pissed
I would dig into Vince Ryan and Kim Ogg's donor base. I guarantee the money leads to Lake Charles, Uncle Tilman, and the usual powers that be that want that money moved across the state line before leaving your pocket.

I looked at the petitions against the clubs on the civil Harris County docket. They are pretty much devoid of actual facts (some cops sat in the poker rooms by following the established rules, saw a lot of people playing poker, thought they saw people getting 'free' alcohol, and therefore, the place is a money laundering and illegal gambling operation that should be shut down as a nuisance immediately). I would go as far as to call it governmental pettifoggery.
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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And if you look at the HCAD records, the bros that own these places appear to all be renting in relatively inexpensive properties.
MAROON
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"We can't allow illegal gambling to go on," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said. "It drives organized crime and fuels other criminal activity."

In December, Prime Social teamed up with the Blue Santa Program organized by HPD officers for a holiday toy drive.



From the Chronicle article on this "bust". God help me I hate Art Acevedo - how Houston ever picked up Austin's trash police chief is beyond me.
What do you boys want for breakfast BBQ ?.....OK Chili.
(removed:110205)
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blindey said:

Broba Fett said:

If the house doesn't take a rake, it's not illegal. Someone else is losing money and got pissed
I would dig into Vince Ryan and Kim Ogg's donor base. I guarantee the money leads to Lake Charles, Uncle Tilman, and the usual powers that be that want that money moved across the state line before leaving your pocket.

I looked at the petitions against the clubs on the civil Harris County docket. They are pretty much devoid of actual facts (some cops sat in the poker rooms by following the established rules, saw a lot of people playing poker, thought they saw people getting 'free' alcohol, and therefore, the place is a money laundering and illegal gambling operation that should be shut down as a nuisance immediately). I would go as far as to call it governmental pettifoggery.
Are these on the civil docket on JIMS?
reveille23
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Ag_07 said:

Yall are completely overlooking the most important part of the story...

Quote:

"If the D.A.'s office had a problem with this and they (clubs) said, 'We don't care, we're going to keep doing it,' sure, but what effort was made to communicate with people who have communicated with the police department and D.A.'s office from the very beginning, to make sure what they were doing is not a violation of the law?" said Wayne Dolcefino, who has done work for Prime Social, first researching the law and then promoting numerous charity and special events.



Saw that clown on the news last night and laughed that he was involved in an "investigative journalism" piece from the other side of the story this time.
Proposition Joe
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Broba Fett said:

If the house doesn't take a rake, it's not illegal. Someone else is losing money and got pissed

"It's not illegal because the house doesn't take a rake" (all the while taking money in the forms of membership, chair-buy-in, concessions, etc...) is like a *****house saying they are just a place for people to come hang out and if they want to buy a $200 bag of Doritos then that's not illegal.

It's straight out of the Lionel Hutz School of Law.

I think most agree they should be legal (though regulated), but these owner/operators knew exactly what laws they were circumventing and the risks in doing so.

Boo Weekley
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When will they start hitting all of the "cash only" taco trucks and Mexican restaurants around town laundering money for the cartels and various drug gangs?

Oh that's right, diff set of rules.
Boo Weekley
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Proposition Joe said:

Broba Fett said:

If the house doesn't take a rake, it's not illegal. Someone else is losing money and got pissed

"It's not illegal because the house doesn't take a rake" (all the while taking money in the forms of membership, chair-buy-in, concessions, etc...) is like a *****house saying they are just a place for people to come hang out and if they want to buy a $200 bag of Doritos then that's not illegal.

It's straight out of the Lionel Hutz School of Law.

I think most agree they should be legal (though regulated), but these owner/operators knew exactly what laws they were circumventing and the risks in doing so.


Why not try it though when you can do similar in dry counties by offering people "club membership" before opening up a tab?
Guitarsoup
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Boo Weekley said:

When will they start hitting all of the "cash only" taco trucks and Mexican restaurants around town laundering money for the cartels and various drug gangs?

Oh that's right, diff set of rules.


YOU STAY THE **** AWAY FROM MY TACOS
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