San Jose Police Raided Underground Casino, Arrested Seven

The police in San Jose, California, raided a suspected underground casino that was also used for other illegal activities such as drug dealing and buying and selling of stolen property.

Illegal Gambling Linked to More Serious Crime

The San Jose Police Department arrested seven people aged between 35 and 44 in a raid on a location in the area of North Capitol Avenue and Avenue B that was operating as “a hub for a variety of illegal activities,” the police statement revealed.

During the raid, police officers located a makeshift crack-cocaine conversion lab and seized seven ounces of cocaine, several thousand dollars in cash, multiple casino gaming machines, and stolen property from retail businesses. One of the subjects arrested carried a loaded gun and cocaine.

All seven suspects, who were identified with the names Nhu Huynh, 48, Anita Nguyen, 53, Truong Trang, 51, Dat Nguyen, 46, Thang Nguyen, 54, Phuoc Nguyen, 52, and Quynh Pham, 35, have addresses in San Jose. The police did not specify the exact charges against each of the detainees.

Detectives stated that the investigation uncovered a link between one of the underground casino’s operators and a stabbing case and that five of the subjects arrested had outstanding felony arrest warrants.

As reported by the local TV station KTVU, people living near the home that was raided by the police had previously complained to the police about the underground casino but the police neither confirmed nor denied that the operation was based on the neighbors’ complaints or that they were looking into illegal gambling.

The raid is the latest on an illegal gambling establishment following charges raised against five of nine suspects arrested in May after an investigation carried out by the Orange County Asian Organized Crime Task Force under the code name ‘Operation Community First.’

The five arrested subjects were charged with drug trafficking, attempted extortion, robbery of a small business, and bribery to a police officer – all related to operating illegal casinos.

Sports Betting Propositions Likely to Be Rejected

And while gambling raids in California continue, the people of the Golden State are still reluctant to legalize sports betting, according to recent research. The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies conducted a study which revealed that the two propositions for the November 8 ballot were likely to be rejected by the voters.

The study findings are a blow to the efforts of the two competing camps, Proposition 26, backed by the wealthy Native tribes, and Proposition 27, backed by the US biggest online sportsbook players such as DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, and the multi-million war chests their political committees have raised to support their campaigns and win the vote.