Marietta police arrested three men they say were running an organized gambling operation out of two storefronts in town.
Investigators found at least 15 unlicensed coin-operated slot machines when they raided Gantt food store at 1033 Franklin Gateway and a Citgo at the corner of Windy Hill and Benson Poole roads Monday.
They arrested Gantt owner Khubaib Hussain, Gantt employee Samson Beye and convenience store worker Arif Muhammad each on a felony charge of commercial gambling.
What started as a drug trafficking case by Marietta cops in mid-2014 ended up “a substantial organized crime investigation” involving Cobb County police, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.
According to warrants, Hussain ran the unlicensed operation and the other two men handed out the cash winnings.
“The legal line is crossed when owners pay cash prizes instead of giving store credit or lottery tickets,” said Kimberly Starks, Georgia Lottery spokeswoman.
The machines were disabled and the agency cited the businesses, she said.
When searching the Douglasville home of Hussain, police officers found $250,000 in cash, five “high-end” vehicles, eight computers and “a large tote full of gold jewelry.”
All three men bonded out. Hussain had the highest bond, $38,720. Beye and Muhammad paid $2,970 each.
Investigators plan to get subpoenas for several bank accounts they believe are connected to the investigation.
Anyone with information about the case can call the anonymous Marietta police tip line at 770-794-6990.
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