Columbia Police opened an investigation in July after complaints from concerned citizens and local businesses. Six weeks later, it had grown into a multi-agency operation spanning two cities and resulted in one of the largest gambling busts Maury County has seen.
Investigators and undercover agents visited 50 businesses over the course of the investigation and identified 20 locations allegedly conducting illegal gambling and paying out winnings in cash. This week, officers and federal agents executed 22 search warrants, covering 20 businesses and two residences in Columbia and Gallatin, along with additional storage locations tied to the operation.
The seizures were substantial: $1,328,269 in cash, 144 gambling machines, and roughly 100 pounds of kratom. Thirteen people were arrested, and officials say the investigation remains open, with additional indictments anticipated.
Perhaps the most troubling detail to come out of the investigation involved who was using the machines. Investigators documented children as young as 9 years old using gambling machines at some of the locations under investigation. Officers also documented drug activity at several of the businesses searched.
The operation drew on a wide bench of law enforcement partners: the Columbia and Gallatin police departments, Portland Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the 22nd Judicial District Attorney's Office, and the 22nd Judicial Drug Task Force. Ten of those arrested were taken into ICE custody following the raids.
Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Haywood appeared at an Aug. 26 press conference announcing the results of the investigation. Charges against those arrested had not been fully detailed as of this writing, and the Journal will follow up as more information, including names and specific charges, becomes available.
Sources: WKRN. WSMV. Fox17. Maury County Source. Radio7Media.