Illegal Gambling Trial Underway
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Kaitie Vanderpool-
Sparks faces charges of corrupt business influence, professional gambling, contracting and failure to appear.
According to court documents, a gaming control officer with the Indiana Gaming Commission began an investigation in 2010 into possible criminal activities surrounding charity gaming at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1126, Warsaw.
Larry Criswell, then chief financial officer for Post 1126, stated that sometime in August 2009, Sparks 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, who were listed as operators of the gaming room on both the first license and the renewal.
However, during Tuesday's opening arguments, Prosecuting Attorney Michael Miner told the jury that evidence will show that while organizations like the VFW are allowed to host gambling operations under specified rules, Sparks was not properly authorized to operate a gaming room.
Court documents indicated Sparks, who was being then 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 Messer, Warsaw, who had 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' attorney, Scott Lennox, said during opening arguments that he knew the VFW cut corners, but no one was injured or hurt during the gambling operating and both parties got what they wanted.
“No harm, no foul,” he told the jurors.
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.
Both the state and the defendant submitted evidence for jury review Tuesday. That evidence will be argued today.
The trial continued at 8:30 a.m. today.[[In-content Ad]]
Sparks faces charges of corrupt business influence, professional gambling, contracting and failure to appear.
According to court documents, a gaming control officer with the Indiana Gaming Commission began an investigation in 2010 into possible criminal activities surrounding charity gaming at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1126, Warsaw.
Larry Criswell, then chief financial officer for Post 1126, stated that sometime in August 2009, Sparks 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, who were listed as operators of the gaming room on both the first license and the renewal.
However, during Tuesday's opening arguments, Prosecuting Attorney Michael Miner told the jury that evidence will show that while organizations like the VFW are allowed to host gambling operations under specified rules, Sparks was not properly authorized to operate a gaming room.
Court documents indicated Sparks, who was being then 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 Messer, Warsaw, who had 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' attorney, Scott Lennox, said during opening arguments that he knew the VFW cut corners, but no one was injured or hurt during the gambling operating and both parties got what they wanted.
“No harm, no foul,” he told the jurors.
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.
Both the state and the defendant submitted evidence for jury review Tuesday. That evidence will be argued today.
The trial continued at 8:30 a.m. today.[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092