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2 accused of running illegal gambling operation

Franklyn Trinidad Rodriguez, Victor Batista Abreu arrested

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2 accused of running illegal gambling operation
Franklyn Trinidad Rodriguez, Victor Batista Abreu arrested
Local agents raided a grocery store after receiving complaints that illegal gambling was going on.Click here to watch the report.Once inside, agents found slot machines and sports betting going on, authorities said.The investigation of Latinos Food and Grocery started in July 2014.Franklyn Trinidad Rodriguez and Victor Batista Abreu were arrested and accused of running a gambling house, bookmaking and racketeering, authorities said.“We had information that they had slot machines inside the store that were paying out money,” said Ron Stucker, director of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. “Go in there, purchase tokens, play the slot machine. Then you would cash out at the cash register for whatever you had won or lost.”Some people could also allegedly bet on NFL games, according to court documents.“You could go in there and ask for the line on a certain game of the week. They would provide (it) and you could put a bet on that game. And if you won, you’d get paid out,” Stucker said.Investigators are still working to figure out the balance at the store between groceries and gambling, Stucker said.“We’re going to go through the records and computers, and try to figure out of the money at the store, how much of it was through legitimate grocery business and how much of it was through illegal gambling,” Stucker said.The MBI is still looking for two other men.Illegal gambling is hurtful to the people playing and the community, officials said.One man said he goes to the store often and never witnessed anything wrong.

Local agents raided a grocery store after receiving complaints that illegal gambling was going on.

Click here to watch the report.

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Once inside, agents found slot machines and sports betting going on, authorities said.

The investigation of Latinos Food and Grocery started in July 2014.

Franklyn Trinidad Rodriguez and Victor Batista Abreu were arrested and accused of running a gambling house, bookmaking and racketeering, authorities said.

“We had information that they had slot machines inside the store that were paying out money,” said Ron Stucker, director of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. “Go in there, purchase tokens, play the slot machine. Then you would cash out at the cash register for whatever you had won or lost.”

Some people could also allegedly bet on NFL games, according to court documents.

“You could go in there and ask for the line on a certain game of the week. They would provide (it) and you could put a bet on that game. And if you won, you’d get paid out,” Stucker said.

Investigators are still working to figure out the balance at the store between groceries and gambling, Stucker said.

“We’re going to go through the records and computers, and try to figure out of the money at the store, how much of it was through legitimate grocery business and how much of it was through illegal gambling,” Stucker said.

The MBI is still looking for two other men.

Illegal gambling is hurtful to the people playing and the community, officials said.

One man said he goes to the store often and never witnessed anything wrong.