2 accused of running illegal gambling operation in Paducah | Crime

PADUCAH, KY (KFVS) - Paducah police say they broke up a gambling operation Tuesday afternoon and arrested two men accused of running the illegal setup.

Dewey D. Griffin, 63, from Calvert City was charged with first-degree promoting gambling and possession of marijuana.

Jimmy C. Jackson, 70, from Kevil was charged with first-degree promoting gambling.

Robert W. Cruse, 71, from Paducah was charged with second-degree promoting gambling.

According to police, Griffin and Jackson are accused of profiting from the gambling operation, which was located in a storefront in a small strip mall at 2517 Bridge Street.

Detective Sergeant Brian Laird said the gambling house apparently had been operating in the location, which appeared to be a vacant store, since late spring. Laird said detectives began receiving tips about illegal activities there and began investigating in mid-summer.

Around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, police served a search warrant at the gambling house. They say more than 10 slot machines were seized, along with more than $3,000 cash, poker chips, a poker table and other items. Police say several hundred dollars in cash was found hidden in the ceiling.

Laird said the investigation showed Griffin and Jackson were running the gambling operation.

"They would pay cash winnings to someone who played the slot machines and won," Laird said. "I feel safe in saying, too, that they operated a weekly poker game during which the house took a cut. Basically, every hand, a couple of chips came out and that went to the house."

According to Laird, investigators currently don't know how much Griffin and Jackson profited from the operation. However, he said, officers have their ledgers, which they'll be going through.

Police say a patron of the business, Cruse, was playing a slot machine when detectives arrived with the search warrant. He was cited on a charge of second-degree promoting gambling and released.

Griffin and Jackson were booked into McCracken County Regional Jail.

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