3 Face Gambling Charges
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By John DeGroff-
According to documents filed in Circuit Court, a gaming control officer with the Indiana Gaming Commission began an investigation last September into possible criminal activities surrounding charity gaming activities at VFW Post 1126 in Warsaw.
Larry Criswell, 62, 112 Lakeview Ave., Warsaw, chief financial officer for the VFW states that sometime in August, 2009, James Lee Sparks, 37, 2032 W. Park Drive, Warsaw, came to the VFW and presented the idea of a charity games/poker room. Members of the post voted to approve the idea and a charity gaming application was completed by Criswell, Sparks, and Denise Messer.
Court records indicate these three were the operators of the gaming room on both the first license and the renewal license which was later issued on Sept. 21. Sparks is said to have told Criswell that the VFW could make around $2,000 weekly.
Sparks, who was being paid by the VFW to run the operation, brought in his own dealers from Fort Wayne, whom he was in charge of paying.
Former VFW post commander Raymond Pfahl told investigators that there was an agreement between Sparks and the VFW in which Sparks would receive 50 percent of the net revenue from the gaming. Pfahl also told investigators that Sparks would submit financial reports to the post and indicate accounts as "cleaning expenses" which were dealer payments, and the category of "security" was payments to Sparks.
Sparks took a "rake" of 10 percent of each pot, up to $8 maximum. He had instructed dealers to tell authorities if questioned that they were 'volunteers" or "cleaners".
In questioning Sparks, investigators learned that Sparks knew the activities were illegal and that the idea for running the operation was learned from other illegal activities he was involved with in the past.
Investigators also spoke with Denise Messer, 47, 2798 S. Country Club Road, Warsaw, who worked as the club manager for the VFW post for nine years. She said that she had intentionally falsified information on the gaming applications indicating that Sparks was a member of the post. She also indicated that she had knowledge of the financial arrangement Sparks had with his dealers and with the post.
Sparks ran the operation as often as three days each week, and instead of giving the money to the VFW, he paid himself and the dealers. Court records indicate $372,886 was received as gross revenue from the gaming activities. The VFW post made approximately $4,000.
Sparks was arrested on Tuesday and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail with a $5,000 bond. He is charged with corrupt business influence, a class C Felony; professional gambling, a class D felony; theft, a class D felony; and contracting, a class D felony.
Messer was arrested Sat., Feb. 12 and charged with aiding contracting, a class D felony. She is in the Kosciusko County jail with no bond set.
Criswell also was arrested on Feb. 12 and charged with contracting, a class D felony. No bond has been set at this time.
The charges are in violation of Indiana Code 4-3.2-5-2. The investigation was conducted by agents of the Indiana Gaming Commission.
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According to documents filed in Circuit Court, a gaming control officer with the Indiana Gaming Commission began an investigation last September into possible criminal activities surrounding charity gaming activities at VFW Post 1126 in Warsaw.
Larry Criswell, 62, 112 Lakeview Ave., Warsaw, chief financial officer for the VFW states that sometime in August, 2009, James Lee Sparks, 37, 2032 W. Park Drive, Warsaw, came to the VFW and presented the idea of a charity games/poker room. Members of the post voted to approve the idea and a charity gaming application was completed by Criswell, Sparks, and Denise Messer.
Court records indicate these three were the operators of the gaming room on both the first license and the renewal license which was later issued on Sept. 21. Sparks is said to have told Criswell that the VFW could make around $2,000 weekly.
Sparks, who was being paid by the VFW to run the operation, brought in his own dealers from Fort Wayne, whom he was in charge of paying.
Former VFW post commander Raymond Pfahl told investigators that there was an agreement between Sparks and the VFW in which Sparks would receive 50 percent of the net revenue from the gaming. Pfahl also told investigators that Sparks would submit financial reports to the post and indicate accounts as "cleaning expenses" which were dealer payments, and the category of "security" was payments to Sparks.
Sparks took a "rake" of 10 percent of each pot, up to $8 maximum. He had instructed dealers to tell authorities if questioned that they were 'volunteers" or "cleaners".
In questioning Sparks, investigators learned that Sparks knew the activities were illegal and that the idea for running the operation was learned from other illegal activities he was involved with in the past.
Investigators also spoke with Denise Messer, 47, 2798 S. Country Club Road, Warsaw, who worked as the club manager for the VFW post for nine years. She said that she had intentionally falsified information on the gaming applications indicating that Sparks was a member of the post. She also indicated that she had knowledge of the financial arrangement Sparks had with his dealers and with the post.
Sparks ran the operation as often as three days each week, and instead of giving the money to the VFW, he paid himself and the dealers. Court records indicate $372,886 was received as gross revenue from the gaming activities. The VFW post made approximately $4,000.
Sparks was arrested on Tuesday and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail with a $5,000 bond. He is charged with corrupt business influence, a class C Felony; professional gambling, a class D felony; theft, a class D felony; and contracting, a class D felony.
Messer was arrested Sat., Feb. 12 and charged with aiding contracting, a class D felony. She is in the Kosciusko County jail with no bond set.
Criswell also was arrested on Feb. 12 and charged with contracting, a class D felony. No bond has been set at this time.
The charges are in violation of Indiana Code 4-3.2-5-2. The investigation was conducted by agents of the Indiana Gaming Commission.
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