Just heard about this....fyi: Murphy's was sold over 2 years ago to a Korean family...but the Casino activity was going on long before they bought it.
Pool hall hit in gambling raid
Charges pending in Murphy's Brass Rail case
By Joe Johnson | joe.johnson@onlineathens.com |
Story updated at 12:15 AM on Friday, January 19, 2007
It wasn't just the food, drink or pool tables that had people flocking to Murphy's Brass Rail.
Police said business was booming at the Mitchell Bridge Road pool hall partly because an illegal casino was being run there until it was raided early Sunday morning.
"Sometimes, it was standing room only," said Sgt. Aubrey Epps of the Athens-Clarke police Vice Unit. "They enjoyed a very brisk business, especially late at night."
Employees of the pool hall just off Atlanta Highway near Athens Perimeter in western Athens-Clarke County were making illegal cash payouts to people playing slot machines, according to Epps, who pulled a slot handle or two during an undercover investigation that lasted several months.
"I made out," the officer said. "I doubled my money sometimes."
Slot machines are legal in Georgia, but only if the prize for winning is a novelty item worth $5 or less.
During the investigation, officers saw people winning jackpots of up to $1,000, Epps said, and payouts of several hundred dollars were not uncommon.
No arrests have been made yet, as investigators continue to discuss the case with prosecutors to see who should be charged and with what crimes.
Police raided the pool hall at 12:45 a.m. Sunday, seizing about a half dozen slot machines and more than $10,000.
Police said they also searched the Jennings Mill Parkway apartment of the pool hall's lease holder, Soon Yol Seo, where they confiscated more cash.
Epps said he would ask a judge to sign arrest warrants for Soon and at least one more person, whom he would not identify.
He may press for charges including commercial gambling, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
Investigators still were working late this week to find who owned the slot machines and whether the owners got a cut of the proceeds from the machines, Epps said. If the owners received gambling proceeds, they could face criminal charges, but will probably lose the machines one way or another under asset forfeiture laws.
The officer said some employees of Murphy's Brass Rail - which serves alcohol and food, maintains pool tables and holds poker tournaments - weren't directly involved in the gambling operation and won't face criminal charges.
The Vice Unit is investigating at least another half dozen locations in Athens-Clarke County that are suspected of running illegal slot machine operations, Epps said.
Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 011907
Pool hall hit in gambling raid
Charges pending in Murphy's Brass Rail case
By Joe Johnson | joe.johnson@onlineathens.com |
Story updated at 12:15 AM on Friday, January 19, 2007
It wasn't just the food, drink or pool tables that had people flocking to Murphy's Brass Rail.
Police said business was booming at the Mitchell Bridge Road pool hall partly because an illegal casino was being run there until it was raided early Sunday morning.
"Sometimes, it was standing room only," said Sgt. Aubrey Epps of the Athens-Clarke police Vice Unit. "They enjoyed a very brisk business, especially late at night."
Employees of the pool hall just off Atlanta Highway near Athens Perimeter in western Athens-Clarke County were making illegal cash payouts to people playing slot machines, according to Epps, who pulled a slot handle or two during an undercover investigation that lasted several months.
"I made out," the officer said. "I doubled my money sometimes."
Slot machines are legal in Georgia, but only if the prize for winning is a novelty item worth $5 or less.
During the investigation, officers saw people winning jackpots of up to $1,000, Epps said, and payouts of several hundred dollars were not uncommon.
No arrests have been made yet, as investigators continue to discuss the case with prosecutors to see who should be charged and with what crimes.
Police raided the pool hall at 12:45 a.m. Sunday, seizing about a half dozen slot machines and more than $10,000.
Police said they also searched the Jennings Mill Parkway apartment of the pool hall's lease holder, Soon Yol Seo, where they confiscated more cash.
Epps said he would ask a judge to sign arrest warrants for Soon and at least one more person, whom he would not identify.
He may press for charges including commercial gambling, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
Investigators still were working late this week to find who owned the slot machines and whether the owners got a cut of the proceeds from the machines, Epps said. If the owners received gambling proceeds, they could face criminal charges, but will probably lose the machines one way or another under asset forfeiture laws.
The officer said some employees of Murphy's Brass Rail - which serves alcohol and food, maintains pool tables and holds poker tournaments - weren't directly involved in the gambling operation and won't face criminal charges.
The Vice Unit is investigating at least another half dozen locations in Athens-Clarke County that are suspected of running illegal slot machine operations, Epps said.
Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 011907
It happened to a room here, Bankers. The TV cameras made a huge deal showing all the machines being loaded and people being arrested...and believe it or not...they had the machines back the VERY NEXT DAY!
