Three people have been sentenced in Michigan for orchestrating an illegal gambling operation.
Charges were first filed in the case on June 8, as part of a joint investigation by the Michigan Department Attorney General and the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
The illegal operation was run at the Fortune Internet Café, 3474 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford, which has since shut.
Shelly Ann Leinenger pleaded guilty to one felony count of gambling operations. She was sentenced to one day in jail with credit for one day and was fined $1,000. Stacey Lynn Houstina pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of maintaining a gambling house for gain. She was sentenced to one day in jail with credit for one day, and fined $250. Shannon Leigh Molina pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of maintaining a gambling house for gain. She was sentenced to two days in jail with credit for two days, and was fined $500.
All three defendants were also ordered to pay $258 each in fees and court costs.
All money generated through the illegal operation was ordered to be forfeited to the state of Michigan. This consisted of $3,022 in cash and gift cards, 32 slot-style computers and two slot-style gaming machines.
“An unregulated gaming operation offers no controls to protect the public, often targets senior citizens and low-income areas and can bring unwanted crime to a community,” said Henry Williams, Michigan Gaming Control Board executive director.
“The Michigan Gaming Control Board and Michigan Department of Attorney General work closely to investigate and eliminate gambling enterprises operating outside of Michigan law.”