Poker chips dont pay off

There was not a single card player arrested in last Friday night's gambling raid in Lake Township, but that didn't stop at least one man from accusing police and Stark County Sheriff's deputies of dirty dealing.

Charles Thompson, 49, of Marshallville says he is not very happy about losing $148 worth of poker chips confiscated in the raid -- and not getting a nickel back.

The chips, Thompson said, were taken from him by officers from the Uniontown Police Department and the Sheriff's Office.

He was given a receipt for the chips, but when he tried to get his money back early this week, he said, sheriff's officials told him no dice.

Thompson said he was told he would not get his money back until the case is settled in court, and then he probably would have to hire a lawyer.

``I thought that was a bunch of bull, because I think they're just keeping the money,'' he said.

There was only one arrest in the raid, according to Stark County Sheriff Timothy A. Swanson. A 62-year-old Wadsworth man, Philip G. Bibey Sr., was arraigned this week on one first-degree misdemeanor charge of operating a gambling house.

Bibey's next court appearance was scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday in Canton Municipal Court.

Responding Thursday to Thompson's charge that officials were keeping his money, Swanson said Thompson was right, to an extent.

The Sheriff's Office is keeping Thompson's money, in addition to nearly $10,000 in cash and checks confiscated from about 50 other players in the raid, until the case is officially settled, Swanson said.

And the sheriff said there is good reason for that.

The confiscated money was tagged as evidence.

Swanson said he is sorry Thompson feels he was ripped off, ``but that's just the way it is. If we raid a crack house, we may not arrest everybody there, but we take everybody's crack and everybody's money, and it all goes to court.''

``I guess that's why it's important for people who go out and gamble in tournaments and these types of things to make sure these activities are legal,'' the sheriff said.

Swanson said Friday night's activities, at the Uniontown Community Park building in Lake Township, were illegal for a number of reasons.

Bibey claimed the affair was for charitable purposes, but the community park building was not a sanctioned gambling location and dealers and food servers also were being paid, the sheriff said.

Except for paying a rental fee for use of a sanctioned gambling location, Swanson said, Ohio law says organizers of such affairs cannot pay dealers or servers, or anyone else involved in the affair.

All proceeds except the rental fee are supposed to be given to a designated charity, the sheriff said.

``Once the case has been disposed of,'' Swanson said, ``if the court orders the money returned to the individuals (who were not arrested), then that's what will be done.''

Sheriff's Maj. Rick Perez said all the money and checks confiscated in Friday night's raid were counted by an officer on the night of the raid and once again by a deputy when it was marked as evidence and placed into the department's evidence room.

And there's one more thing, Swanson said.

Thompson should consider himself lucky that he had any chips at all.

He could have lost all his money gambling that night, Swanson said.
By Ed Meyer

News Added: 07 April, 2005

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