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MORGANTON - Police charged three people on Friday morning for operating illegal video poker machines.
The charges followed a late night raid of Lee Ann Lao Market, 3084 N.C. 18 S., where authorities found 10 of the machines in a backroom.
Souvanh Sarath, 36, of 170 B&D Ave. was charged with operating five or more video poker or slot machines.
Lee Chang, 45, of 170 B&D Ave. was charged with operating nine or more video poker or slot machines.
Jorachaki Phanmaha, 51, of Atlanta, Ga., was charged with operating a game of chance in which money was being bet.
Sarath and Chang were confined at Burke-Catawba District Confinement Facility under $5,000 bonds.
Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt said the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and Burke County Narcotics Task Force have been investigating the operation for the past four months.
Shortly after 10 p.m. Friday, numerous officers from N.C. ALE, Burke County Sheriff's Office, Burke County Narcotics Task Force, Morganton Department of Public Safety and both local S.W.A.T. teams surrounded the business.
McDevitt said the establishment has an elaborate video surveillance system, but patrons were not watching the screens when officers pulled up.
Investigators found 10 men and one woman actively involved in gaming activities, McDevitt said.
Burke County Narcotics Task Force Sgt. Rick Hasson said officers also found evidence of bookmaker services, loaded dice and a large amount of cash.
The large back room was sparsely furnished, with couches lining the wall across from the video poker machines. Woven shades tightly covered the windows.
A sign on the front door of the business displayed odd hours. From Sunday through Thursday, the establishment, a Lao market to passersby, was open until 11:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, it was open until midnight.
Hasson said throughout the investigation the business stayed open until 6 or 7 a.m.
Vehicles in the parking lot displayed out-of-state license plates. One car was from Oregon, another from Georgia and a third from Texas.
The charges followed a late night raid of Lee Ann Lao Market, 3084 N.C. 18 S., where authorities found 10 of the machines in a backroom.
Souvanh Sarath, 36, of 170 B&D Ave. was charged with operating five or more video poker or slot machines.
Lee Chang, 45, of 170 B&D Ave. was charged with operating nine or more video poker or slot machines.
Jorachaki Phanmaha, 51, of Atlanta, Ga., was charged with operating a game of chance in which money was being bet.
Sarath and Chang were confined at Burke-Catawba District Confinement Facility under $5,000 bonds.
Burke County Sheriff John McDevitt said the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division and Burke County Narcotics Task Force have been investigating the operation for the past four months.
Shortly after 10 p.m. Friday, numerous officers from N.C. ALE, Burke County Sheriff's Office, Burke County Narcotics Task Force, Morganton Department of Public Safety and both local S.W.A.T. teams surrounded the business.
McDevitt said the establishment has an elaborate video surveillance system, but patrons were not watching the screens when officers pulled up.
Investigators found 10 men and one woman actively involved in gaming activities, McDevitt said.
Burke County Narcotics Task Force Sgt. Rick Hasson said officers also found evidence of bookmaker services, loaded dice and a large amount of cash.
The large back room was sparsely furnished, with couches lining the wall across from the video poker machines. Woven shades tightly covered the windows.
A sign on the front door of the business displayed odd hours. From Sunday through Thursday, the establishment, a Lao market to passersby, was open until 11:30 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, it was open until midnight.
Hasson said throughout the investigation the business stayed open until 6 or 7 a.m.
Vehicles in the parking lot displayed out-of-state license plates. One car was from Oregon, another from Georgia and a third from Texas.
