Pepperoni's Tavern on Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta is accused of hosting a Calcutta Auction style gambling operation.
By Kristal Dixon (Patch Staff)March 18, 2015 at 3:22pm
Patch Police Seize Loaded Handguns, Over $135,000 in NCAA Gambling Raid
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The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety is providing more details about a Monday evening raid at a local restaurant that resulted in the arrest of nearly two dozen people.
Alpharetta police, along with authorities in Milton, Johns Creek and Roswell, all took part in executing a search warrant at Pepperoni’s Tavern on Old Milton Parkway around 9 p.m. March 16.
Officers previously gathered intelligence that indicated a “Calcutta Auction style gambling operation was taking place inside the restaurant,” in violation of Georgia codes 16-12-21 (gambling) and 16-12-22 (commercial gambling), the department said on Wednesday.
A Calcutta Auction occurs when gamblers bid among themselves to buy each of the contestants, with each contestant being assigned to the highest bidder. The contestant will then pay out to the owner a predetermined proportion of the pool, depending on how it performs in the tournament.
Georgia code 16-12-21 notes a resident “commits the offense of gambling” when he or she: (1) Makes a bet upon the partial or final result of any game or contest or upon the performance of any participant in such game or contest; (2) Makes a bet upon the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or upon the degree of success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate; or (3) Plays and bets for money or other thing of value at any game played with cards, dice, or balls.
Gambling is classified by the state as a misdemeanor.
Code 16-12-22 defines commercial gambling as a person who intentionally:
operates or participates in the earnings of a gambling place; (2) Receives, records, or forwards a bet or offer to bet; (3) For gain, becomes a custodian of anything of value bet or offered to be bet; (4) Contracts to have or give himself or another the option to buy or sell or contracts to buy or sell at a future time any gain or other commodity whatsoever or any stock or security of any company, when it is at the time of making such contract intended by both parties thereto that the contract to buy or sell, the option whenever exercised or the contract resulting therefrom, shall be settled not by the receipt or delivery of such property but by the payment only of differences in prices thereof; (5) Sells chances upon the partial or final result of or upon the margin of victory in any game or contest or upon the performance of any participant in any game or contest or upon the result of any political nomination, appointment, or election or upon the degree of success of any nominee, appointee, or candidate; (6) Sets up or promotes any lottery, sells or offers to sell, or knowingly possesses for transfer or transfers any card, stub, ticket, check, or other device designed to serve as evidence of participation in any lottery; or (7) Conducts, advertises, operates, sets up, or promotes a bingo game without having a valid license to operate a bingo game as provided by law.
Anyone who commits the offense of commercial gambling “shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years or by a fine not to exceed $20,000, or both,” the code states.
Department spokesperson George Gordon said Pepperoni’s Tavern had actually closed for the night the search warrant was executed and a sign was posted outside notifying the public that a private party was taking place.
Upon entry into the restaurant, officers with the multi-jurisdictional operation “observed in plain view a large NCAA tournament brackets board with patrons seated at tables with their betting paraphernalia and cash gambling,” Gordon stated.
The restaurant had about 64 people inside its establishment at the time of the raid.
“Based upon the raid, evidence was obtained which showed this was a large, planned event with the attendees being specifically invited,” Gordon continued. “Documents were seized, which indicated an organized illegal gambling operation known as a Calcutta Auction.”
Over $135,000 in U.S. currency, two loaded handguns and other gambling paraphernalia was also seized.
Eight attendees were arrested and charged with felony commercial gambling while 13 attendees were arrested for misdemeanor gambling. Gordon added one of the arrests also included the possession of cocaine.
Eight attendees were arrested and charged with felony commercial gambling while 13 attendees were arrested for misdemeanor gambling.
Those arrested and charged with by Alpharetta police include:
Kelli Roveto (initially released on scene due to family circumstances; she turned herself in on Wednesday): felony commercial gambling
John Charles “Kicker” Roveto: felony commercial gambling
William Michael Gazdik: felony commercial gambling
Robert Forbes Howe (restaurant manager): felony commercial gambling
Phillip Scott Brown (co-owner): felony keeping a place of gambling, felony commercial gambling
Phillip J. Campbell Sr. (co-owner): felony keeping a place of gambling, commercial gambling
John Joseph Spagnolo: felony keeping a place of gambling, commercial gambling
Phillip J. Campbell Jr.(co-owner): felony keeping a place of gambling, commercial gambling
Residents charged with misdemeanor gambling include: John T. Rausch, David W. Hoch, Michael Ledford, James Christopher Davenport, Michael T. Gibson, Robert R. Eagar, Dennis J. Sterk, Lee L. Lichtenstein, Todd D. Ryman, Robert Joo Park, Jessie P. Polosky, David A. Terry and Scott Fuhrman.
According to the department, some of the attendees had been previously arrested in another city in 2007 while participating in a similar gambling event. Some of the attendees have previous criminal records for offenses such as gambling, drug, and weapons charges, Gordon stated.
“It’s common knowledge that people privately bet on the NCAA tournament,” Gordon said. “Our resources are focused primarily on major illegal operations comprised of illegal gambling operations in violation of Georgia statutory laws.”
Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard said the restaurant has not had any other issues that have been brought to the attention of Alpharetta leaders and city staff members.
Pepperoni’s Tavern has yet to pay its 2015 business license fee, but Drinkard said the delinquency date is April 1.
“Given the current situation, however, their business license will not be renewed,” he dded.
Photo credits: Alpharetta Department of Public Safety
Labels: Alpharetta, Alpharetta News, Gambling Ring Alpharetta, Pepperoni's Tavern, police seize handguns
# posted by
Brian Vanderhoff @ 5:35 PM
