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State of Play’s TL;DR
- A North Carolina business owner is facing an illegal gambling charge after authorities seized several alleged illegal gambling devices and money.
- The owner of the business in Monroe also had outstanding warrants, police said.
Monroe Police say a North Carolina business owner is facing a felonious illegal gambling charge after investigators seized thousands of dollars and multiple alleged illegal gambling devices.
Authorities say the case began with a tip from a concerned citizen.
Police said investigators executed a search warrant around 5 a.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at a business in the 300 block of Old Morgan Mill Road in Monroe, NC.
Tip leads to arrest and gambling charge
Police identified the suspect as Xiong Yang, 43, of Fort Mill, SC. He was arrested and charged with felonious illegal gambling, according to FOX8 WGHP.
Monroe Police Chief Rhett Bolen credited the person who tipped off police to the business.
“We appreciate the citizen who took the time to bring this business to our attention.
“Community members are often the first to notice activity that does not look right, and that information can be extremely valuable to our investigators.”
Case also tied to outstanding Mecklenburg County warrants
Police said Yang also had outstanding warrants from Mecklenburg County tied to allegations that he had previously operated a similar business.
That detail suggests Monroe investigators were not dealing with an isolated allegation, though police did not provide further information about the Mecklenburg County case, the specific devices seized, or Yang’s next court date.
Bolen said the department intends to keep pursuing these types of cases
“We will continue to take action when businesses or individuals bring illegal activity into our community.”
North Carolina allows both online and retail sports betting. It also has a legal lottery program and two tribal-operated casinos.
Based on reporting by Arri Woodhouse for WGHP Fox8 News.
