FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACES WIRED AMUSEMENT CENTERS TO PLEAD GUILTY TO GAMBLING OFFENSES

San Antonio, Texas: August 18, 2009:

As part of a multi-county global plea agreement Aces Wired Amusement Centers in Bexar County, Nueces County, and Tarrant County agreed to enter guilty pleas to charges of Organized Criminal Activity and Possession of Gambling Devices. The local charges arise from the operation of two Aces Wired locations in Bexar County that were operating illegal “8-liner” gambling devices similar to electronic slot machines.

After extensive publicity and advertising by Aces Wired, District Attorney Reed requested an Attorney General’s opinion concerning the legal aspects of stored value cards and gambling devices. The Attorney General issued an opinion agreeing with Judge Reed’s analysis of the gambling laws as they related to this business enterprise. SAPD was then asked to begin an investigation into the gaming centers. Once that investigation started, Bexar County joined forces with other law enforcement agencies across the state as part of a multi-jurisdictional task force. The task force was coordinated by the Attorney General’s Office and consisted of the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, the San Antonio Police Department, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Public Safety, the Corpus Christi Police Department, and the Dallas Police Department. Search and seizure warrants were simultaneously executed across the state on Aces Wired Amusement Centers. Officers from the San Antonio Police Department Vice Unit, along with District Attorney Investigators raided two locations in Bexar County, Ace Gaming Amusement Center at 6450 NW Loop 410, suite 109, and Lucky 777 at 219 SW Military Drive.

The global plea agreement calls for Aces Wired Amusement Centers to plead guilty to one count each of Organized Criminal Activity and Possession of Gambling Devices. As part of the plea agreement, the local Aces Wired Amusement Center agreed to plead guilty, cease all operations, forfeit all proceeds of its illegal enterprise and pay a $10,000 fine. The plea is set for tomorrow at 8:50 a.m. in the 399th District Court before the Honorable Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl.

The crime of Organized Criminal Activity is a State Jail felony punishable by a fine of up to $20,000 and Possession of a Gambling Device offense is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.

For more information contact Adriana Biggs, White Collar Crime Division Chief, at (210)335-2404.