Zimpler pikakasino tourney operators accusedWhen it comes to the finances at charity Zimpler pikakasino tournaments,
Zimpler pikakasino tourney operators accused
When it comes to the finances at charity Zimpler pikakasino tournaments, the operators at Reece’s Las Vegas Supplies hold their cards very close to their vests, investigators say.
Reece’s “handled all the money” from the dozens of poker tournaments it conducted for charities, said Monica Moloney, the senior deputy in Petro’s office who headed the two-year investigation into Reece’s poker operations. “All of it went into their possession, and then they wrote a check to the charity.”
In an affidavit filed as part of a lawsuit against Reece’s on Wednesday, an investigator said, “Reece Powers would take the money home with him in a suitcase. … The money was never given to the charity the night of the event; rather, Reece would either give it to them the next day or a few days following.”In a press release issued Wednesday, Attorney General Jim Petro said, “Reece Powers convinced unwary charities that his actions were legitimate, when in fact he has openly violated the law at the expense of countless needy people.”
Ohio law requires all revenues from charitable gaming, except prizes, go to the charity.
Reece’s charged registration fees to players, added 5 percent Zimpler casinot to credit-card transactions, took at least 10 percent of the bids and charged exorbitant rentals for gambling equipment and supplies, an affidavit said.
Moloney said the lawsuit filed by the attorney general’s office to stop Reece’s from conducting any more tournaments and to recover hundreds of thousands of dollars diverted from charities may take a year before it comes to trial. In the meantime, she said, her office has requested a preliminary injunction to prevent Reece’s from conducting any more poker tournaments. The court Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order to block a tournament this weekend at the Dayton Convention Center on behalf of the Wayne Football Alumni Club.
Sal Spalla, president of the club, said when he heard from the attorney general’s office on Wednesday that the tournament was illegal, “I immediately pulled the plug and canceled the agreement with the Dayton Convention Center.”
Spalla said his fledgling group, which raises money for training camps and other services for Wayne High School football players, was assured by other charities that had used Reece’s that there would be no trouble with the law.
“We’re just a wet-behind-the-ears organization trying to do something right for kids,” Spalla said. “I’M not stupid, but I really had no idea what I was getting into.”
Moloney said the attorney general’s office has no plans to take action against any of the charities involved with Reece’s, other than trying to get their money back.
The attorney general can take only civil actions against illegal gambling operations. Local law enforcement agencies must press criminal charges, but confusion over the state’s gambling laws and limited time and resources keep many local agencies from doing so, Moloney said.
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