Police raid home of WSOP Finalist
San Antonio police officers raided the home of 6th place World Series of Poker finalist Richard Lee early Wednesday. Armed with a search warrant, officers of the San Antonio Police Vice Squad found signs of an illegal gambling operation while conducting a search and seizure at Lee’s home in the 100 block of Geddington . The officers said that they have a warrant to seize everything , including the owners cars. Also found during the raid were betting slips that held information of players and gambling debts.
“Our vice detectives have been conducting a comprehensive investigation where they believe proceeds from illegal gambling have bought a lot of items in this house,� San Antonio police spokesman Joe Rios said. “Anytime we have that type of investigation that leads us to believe there’s illegal property in the house we have the authority to seize it. We’re taking all the vehicles and all the property inside the house. No one was arrested,� Rios disclosed, “although now that we have found the evidence, we can move forward.�
The police spokesman also confirmed that the home had been under investigation for several months, saying that multiple gambling receipts were found during the search. “It’s basically what we refer to as a bookie, taking bets online and then placing those bets. He’s doing that illegally here in San Antonio , not in Vegas,â€? Rios explained. “We’re talking payouts well over $500,000. It was a pretty well-oiled machine they were running out here.â€?ÂÂ
Lee, who had just won almost $3 million in the World Series of Poker earlier this month , has not been presently named as a suspect. The evidence gathered will be turned over to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, which will present the case to a grand jury for consideration of the indictments.
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                                                                  - Ryan Wallace