Cops vs. Firemen as Western PA Poker Firestorm Brews

It's cops verses the firemen in one Pennsylvania town where law enforcement has ordered a Westmoreland County fire department turn over $40,000 raised from poker tournaments it held last year as fundraisers.

The tournaments were organized by Greensburg attorney Larry Burns, who faces misdemeanor gambling charges for allegedly running Texas Hold 'Em tournaments in Seward, according to a report in the Tribune Review.

Burns has challenged the charges. Burns and his attorney argue that certain laws specific to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania state that poker is not ‘gambling' and therefore the unlawful gambling laws do not apply to Burns and his games. Needless to say, state officials disagree with them on this point.

This is a similar argument that the powerful Poker Players Alliance has attempted to raise related to online poker.

State police seized more than $9,000 during an August raid and are seeking forfeiture of the remaining $31,000, which was deposited in the fire department's account at AmeriService Financial in Johnstown.

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News Added: 04 August, 2008

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