Etowah Co News Articles

7/28/2019 Etowah Co News Articles

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Etowah County authorities raid Rainbow City business, seize suspected bingo machines (... Page 1 of 1

Etowah County authorities raid Rainbow City business, seizesuspected bingo machines (updated)William Thornton I [email protected] By William Thornton I [email protected] the author I Follow on Twitteron June 28, 2013 at 3:19 PM, updated June 28, 2013 at 5:48 PM

GADSDEN, Alabama -- Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin said hisView full size

Entrekin said the raid happened at 1 p.m. at Center Stage in Rainbow City, 206Rescia Avenue. Investigators also arrested one person, who faces twomisdemeanor charges - one count of promoting gambling, and one count of

possession of a gambling machine. The person was later released from the Etowah County Detention Centeron $2,000 bond.

Undercover law enforcement officers went into the facility to verify the playing of the machines, saidDepartment Spokeswoman Natalie Barton.

"We have worked hard, along with other law enforcement agencies, to enforce Alabama laws that stateelectronic gambling devices are illegal," Entrekin said in a statement. "And until those laws are changed, wewill continue to do so."Just yesterday, Entrekin turned down a request for an electronic bingo permit for CBS Supply, the developerof a proposed $200 million bingo development in the county. Entrekin said the machines came close to beinglegal, but he would not issue the permit.

For more details on the CBS Supply decision, read this Gadsden Times article.

2013 al.com . All rights reserved.

Etowah County Sheriffepartment raided a Rainbow City business this afternoon and seized twoTodd Entrekin.uspected electronic bingo machines.(Special/Etowah CountySheriffs Office)

http://blog.al.com/east-alabama//print.html?entry=/2013/06/etowah_county_authorities rai... 7/10/2013


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"Gambling Devices Seized" from Etowah County Sheriffs Office : Nixleage 1 of 1Building Safer Communities Together Registered Subscribers: Sign In HereReceive alerts from your local agencies Sign Up ,..or text your ZIP CODE to 888777 for mobile alerts not sure how?o Back I Full Notification

6=Etowah County Sheriffs OfficeFriday June 28th 2013 05:29 p.m. CDT

A d v i s o r yambling Devices Seized ' -ore Messages(Etowah County, AL) Etowah County Sheriff's Office investigators seized two electronicee more messages from Gadsden,bingo machines today in Rainbow City, according to Sheriff Todd Entrekin.labama a"Michelle Regina Garbe, 51, of Gadsden, was arrested and charged today with one count ofavigate & Discoverpromoting gambling and one count of possession of a gambling device, both aremisdemeanors." states Investigator Josh Morgan.nter a town, zip code or addressSheriffs Office investigators seized the machines from Center Stage, located at 206 ResciaAvenue, Rainbow City, at 1:00 p.m. today.Undercover law enforcement officers went into the facility to verify the playing of thegambling devices.

"As a 30 year law enforcement officer in Etowah County, we've always arrested andprosecuted anyone who brings illegal electronic gambling machines in the county," SheriffEntrekin said. "We have worked hard, along with other law enforcement agencies, to enforceAlabama laws that state electronic gambling devices are illegal. And until those laws arechanged, we will continue to do so."

Garbe was booked into the Etowah County Detention Center and later released on $2,000bond .Address/LocationEtowah County Sneriffs Office827 Forrest AveGadsden, AL 35901

ContactEmergency: 9-1-1Non-emergencies: 256-546-2825

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4 0 % o f f O n e I t e ma t R e g u l a r P r i c e

S h o p a n d S a v e N o wo n T h o u s a n d s o f I t e m s

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the ttadiden timeoThis copy is for your personal. nomorninercial use only. You can order presentation..ready cope,:for d.stribution to your colleagues, dears or customers here or use the "Reprints" tool tha ,r , pear,above an , , , , tale. Order a reprint of this article now.

Bingo machines seized, woman arrestedBy An y PowellTimes Staff WriterPublished: Friday, June 28, 2013 at 7:02 p.m.

Two electronic bingo machines were seizedFriday at Center Stage in Rainbow City and aGadsden woman was arrested on misdemeanorcharges, according to Etowah County SheriffTodd EntrekinSheriff's office investigators seized the machinesfrom Center Stage, at 1 p.m., according to anews release from the sheriffs office.Undercover law enforcement officers twice wentinto the facility to verify the playing of thegambling devices.Michelle Regina Garbe, 51, was charged withichelle Regina Garbeone count of promoting gambling and one countof possession of a gambling device.Entrekin said he believes, but could not say for certain, the machines seized were thesame ones that CBS Supply, which hopes to bring electronic bingo to Etowah County,had tested by Gaming Laboratories International to see if they met state and localrequirements for bingo.Entrekin earlier this week turned down a request from CBS for an electronic bingolicense, saying he did not think the machines played traditional bingo.CBS Supply, the developer of a proposed $200 million bingo development in thecounty, had submitted a report from GLI. It said the SilverLine Systems machines,manufactured by Select Electronic Devices Inc., passed the standards governing legalbingo in Etowah County. Those standards include a six-point requirement set by theAlabama Supreme Court as to what constitutes legal bingo in the state.CBS Supply in a press release said Entrekin's own expert said the machines complywith the law, and the sheriff "has a duty to permit CBSs games and allow it todevelop this huge economic development project for Etowah County."Entrekin said a license for paper bingo was issued Thursday to 13th Place at CenterStage. He said he was told a sign was displayed at Center Stage saying proceedswould go to 13th Place.He said Garbe asked for an attorney when she was interviewed by investigators andwould not answer questions.Garbe was booked into the Etowah County Detention Center and later released on$2,000 bond.Garbe in a telephone interview would not confirm that she worked for CBS.Her attorney, Roy McCord Jr., in a telephone interview said that he and his daughter,Catherine McCord Bailey, have been retained to defend Garbe in criminalproceedings.

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20130628NEWS/130629797?template=printpicart /10/2013


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McCord said he did not know if Garbe works for CBS. He said she was in possessionof the machines when the sheriff's department did the undercover sting.He said the machines "probably" were owned by CBS, but he could not say that withcertainty."I never asked that question," McCord said. "These machines were the machines thatwere tested by the folks in New Jersey and were certified."

McCord said if this goes to trial, he would attempt to show that the machines arelegal. He said the machines operate the same as paper bingo machines and meet theAlabama Supreme Court's standards for legal bingo.Entrekin said officers first went to Center Stage Thursday evening after receivinginformation that the machines were being played, then went back Friday."As a 30-year law enforcement officer in Etowah County, we've always arrested andprosecuted anyone who brings illegal electronic gambling machines in the county,"Entrekin said. "We have worked hard, along with other law enforcement agencies, toenforce Alabama laws that state electronic gambling devices are illegal. And untilthose laws are changed, we will continue to do so."Copyright 2013 GadsdenTimes.com All rights reserved. Restricted use only.

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20130628/NEWS/130629797?template printpicart /10/2013


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Etowah County DA dismisses charges from last week's gambling raidage 1 of 2ALEtowah County DA dismisses charges from last week's gamblingraidWilliam Thornton I [email protected] By William Thornton I [email protected] the author I Follow on Twitteron July 02, 2013 at 12:32 PM

GADSDEN, Alabama -- Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp todayannounced he is dismissing charges of possession of a gambling device againsta Gadsden woman which stem from a sheriffs department raid lastweek.Michelle Garbe, 51, was charged with possession of a machine and withpromoting gambling, both misdemeanors. An agent from the county's drug

enforcement unit entered Center Stage in Rainbow City Friday and played an electronic bingo machine aspart of a raid.

Harp said he is dropping the charges because it is "clear to me that the defendant and those involved in theoperation staged this entire event and forced (Etowah County) Sheriff (Todd) Entrekin to make an arrest."

Harp noted there were only two machines at the business, not enough to generate significant money for acharity. Last week, Entrekin turned down a request for an electronic bingo permit for CBS Supply, thedeveloper of a proposed $200 million bingo development in the county. Entrekin said their machines cameclose to being legal, but he would not issue the permit. Harp said this incident is related to Entrekin'sdecision.

"I am convinced that CBS Supply is attempting to use the criminal court system to get what they have beenunable to obtain in the civil court system which is a permit from the Sheriff," Harp said in a statement."Sheriff Entrekin did, in my opinion, what he is expected to do when he made this arrest and I would expectthat he will do it again if called upon. However, I will not have my office used as a mechanism to determinethe legality of electronic bingo."

Harp said his decision was dictated in part by an already heavy caseload for his office, including capitalmurder cases and crimes against children. He also said the decision does not mean he is expressing anopinion on the legality of bingo.

"I have informed Sheriff Entrekin of this decision and he has expressed to me his support for it," Harp said."I have also communicated with the Alabama Attorney General's Office and understand that they are

View full sizeEtowah County DistrictAttorney Jimmie Harp(Etowah DA)

http://blog.al.com/east-alabama//print.html?entry=/2013/07/etowah county_da dismisses__ 7/10/2013


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Etowah County DA dismisses charges from last week's gambling raidage 2 of 2continuing to investigate both civil and criminal issues with regard to electronic bingo in various areas inAlabama and certainly may reinstate these cases if it wishes." 2013 al.com . All rights reserved.http://blog.al.com/east-alabama//print.html?entry=/2013/07/etowah_county_da_dismisses_.. . 7/10/2013


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PUT AN END TO EXCUSES.

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Entrekin won't release bingo machines, wantsthem destroyedBy Andu PowellTimes Staff WriterPublished: 71tesday, July 9, 2013 at 4: 1 4 p.m.Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin hasrefused to release two electronic bingomachines and a computer server seized lastmonth as gambling devices in a case in whichthe criminal charges have been dropped, andhas begun the process to have them destroyed.Entrekin said he doesn't know what the

Iequipment is worth, but thinks it's veryILE -Marc Golden Gadsden limesFIL E - Sheriff Todd Entrekin talks about a casevaluable.t a press conference, Monday, O ct. 8, 2012, atthe Etowah County Sheriffs Office in Gadsden,"Istill believe it's an illegal machine, and based Ala.on that, I'm going to file forfeiture proceedings on it to have it destroyed," he saidEntrekin said he has given the paperwork to District Attorney Jimmie Harp."I look forward to running over them with a bulldozer," he added.Attorney Roy McCord is representing Michelle Garbe of Gadsden, who had beencharged with promoting gambling and possession of a gambling device, bothmisdemeanors. McCord said he asked Entrekin on Monday to release the machinesand server to Garbe since the charges were dropped and no crime had beencommitted.Entrekin, however, in a letter Tuesday to McCord, said the property was seized fromCenter Stage in Rainbow City because his office had reasonable cause to believe itwas being used "in a manner inconsistent with Alabama law (i.e. in furtherance ofillegal gambling)."Entrekin said he would not be in a position to release the property "absent an orderfrom an appropriate court."McCord said he and Garbe are studying their options. He said he has been told themachines are owned by CBS Supply, which had hoped to develop a $200 millionbingo development off Interstate 59 near the Etowah-St. Clair County line. He saidthe machines and server were in his client's possession when they were seized June28.Harp, who dismissed the charges against Garbe, saying the event was staged in aneffort to get an electronic bingo license through the court system after Entrekinrefused to issue one, said seizing and destroying gambling items is routinely done."Just because we don't prosecute the criminal act doesn't mean we can't do a civilforfeiture," Harp said. "That happens all the time.""We can do a civil forfeiture case, and that's what we're going to do," he said, addingthat the process should not take long."We've destroyed a bunch of gambling devices," Harp said.

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McCord and his client could challenge the forfeiture to try to get the machines back,Harp said, adding, "I'm sure they will."Copyright 2013 GadsdenTimes.com All rights reserved. Restricted use only.

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