Prosecutor sees more charges over NC video poker

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A federal prosecutor expects more charges in an investigation of illegal video poker that already has snared a former sheriff and his officers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Edwards said during a hearing that he anticipated at least one more indictment in the wide-ranging gambling probe, the Asheville Citizen-Times reported Tuesday.

Several people were sentenced last week in the video poker investigation, including former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford and four of his former officers. Medford was sentenced to 15 years in prison for taking up to $300,000 in bribes from illegal video gambling operators during his tenure as sheriff of the western North Carolina county.

"There is at least one party I anticipate an indictment coming down on," Edwards said at the end of three days of sentencing sessions in federal court last week. An FBI surveillance tape that surfaced in Medford's trial showed a video poker operator talking about bribing another sheriff.

Edwards was talking to the judge about the cooperation that investigators were given by a top official of a company that distributed video poker machines.

In addition, a defense lawyer for illegal gambling operator Jim Lindsey told U.S. District Court Judge Tim Ellis his client expected his five-month sentence to be reduced because he helped provide information that hasn't been revealed.

Lindsey already has testified he gave Medford thousands of dollars to ignore his illegal video gambling business. Lindsey pleaded guilty to illegal gambling.

North Carolina made cash payouts from video poker machines illegal in July 2007, but some business kept machines operating.

WRAL

News Added: 14 October, 2008

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