Three busted in illegal gambling house in Tampa: Police
The Brief
Three suspects were arrested after Tampa police busted an illegal gambling house.
The illegal gambling house was operated out of All Stars Tampa Domino Club off of Waters Avenue.
All three are facing a slew of charges, including RICO violation and agent or employee of keeping a gambling house.
TAMPA, Fla. - Three suspects are behind bars after police said they busted an illegal gambling house in Tampa on Sunday.
The Tampa Police Department said its street anti-crimes squad, SWAT team, K9 unit, and bomb squad arrested the three suspects, who are accused of operating an illegal gambling house out of All Stars Tampa Domino Club in the 2300 block of West Waters Avenue. Those suspects have been identified by investigators as Marcelino Perez, 67; Charlie Parilla, 32; and Kendrick Franklin, 29.
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Timeline
TPD said authorities were made aware of the illegal gambling house back in December 2023. That's when undercover detectives began conducting surveillance where they watched people walk into the business and then leave an average of three minutes later with paper receipts, which is "far less time than needed to play a game of dominos," investigators noted in the search warrant.
Over the past 14 months, undercover detectives placed six bets, wagering a total of $940 on different sports games, including a Celtics-Raptors NBA game just last month.
During their investigation, Tampa police said they found the business operated seven days a week, and Perez, Parilla and Franklin were all found to be connected to the illegal gambling house's operation. They also learned that the operation created a pattern of racketeering, because it operated every day and focused on placing illegal sports bets, TPD said.
"This is more than just sports betting," Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said. "This is an illegal business that was set up."
Officers said they seized numerous computers, receipts used for illegal gambling, more than $12,000 and a semi-automatic pistol after serving a search warrant on Sunday. After that, Perez, Parilla and Franklin were all taken into custody.
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What they're saying
"The success of this operation is a testament to the tireless work and attention to detail shown by our officers," said Bercaw. "To anyone thinking about running an illegal gambling operation in Tampa, consider this your warning."
Big picture view
According to investigators, the three suspects are facing the following charges:
Perez – one felony count of conspiracy to bookmake, one felony count of RICO violation and one misdemeanor count of agent or employee of keeping a gambling house.
Franklin – Two felony counts of betting on results of trial or contest of skill, one felony count of bookmaking, one felony count for RICO violation and one misdemeanor count for agent or employee of keeping a gambling house.
Parilla – Four felony counts of betting on the results of a trial or contest skill, one felony count of bookmaking, one felony count for RICO violation and one misdemeanor count of agent or employee of keeping a gambling house.
In court on Monday, all three men were represented by the same attorney, who declined to comment to FOX 13. During their first court appearances, a judge set bond for Perez at $52,650, Franklin at $57,650, and Parilla at $62,650.
Sports betting laws
Under Florida law, all sports betting must be exclusively conducted by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, meaning legal options for sports betting include the Seminole Hard Rock Casino or the casino's app.
"Yeah, you know, I thought that myself, too. There's an app that's out there," Bercaw told FOX 13 when asked about the need for an illegal gambling house. "And that's just part of our ongoing investigation is looking into those terms, whether it was more convenient for people."
The Source
The information in this story was released by the Tampa Police Department.
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