ROY, Utah, Jan. 10, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Roy Police Department and the Utah Attorney General’s Office CASE Force on Monday closed down an alleged illegal gambling operation at a Texaco gas station and convenience store at 4395 S. 1900 West.
“Undercover agents had been observing the location for months, documenting evidence of illegal activity before obtaining a search warrant,” says a statement issued by the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
Station owner Neel Jagdish Patel, 31, was arrested and charged with 21 felonies related to the operation:
- Money laundering, a second-degree felony
- Pattern of unlawful activity, a second-degree felony
- 19 counts of fringe gaming device as a third-degree felony
- Fringe gaming device as a class A misdemeanor
“Patel owned the Texaco since 2018, and charges indicate he oversaw gambling operations the whole time,” says a probable cause statement shared by the Utah AG’s Office.
“Undercover detectives played the gaming devices and were illegally paid in cash as a payout for winning on the devices. This was part of the gas station’s standard of operation. During questioning, Patel admitted to operating the gambling devices, and that cash from the devices is mixed and deposited with everyday proceeds from the convenience store. ”
Detectives seized 20 video game-style machines that were used for betting, and seized several large bags of cash from the location, the statement says.
“The location was well known to police and had a negative reputation in the community for frequent visits from law enforcement for various situations.”
The CASE (Crimes Against Statewide Economy) Task Force is made up of multiple law enforcement agencies across the state, the statement says. Officers from the Department of Public Safety West Valley City and West Jordan Police department assisted in this case.
Patel is being held without bail in the Weber County jail.
