Georgia Charity Accused of Running Illegal Gambling Den, Director Arrested
A Georgia charity running stove poker tournaments and gambling casino nights on the lay claim that monetary resource raised would do good nonprofits has been accused of harboring an illegal play den.
The Gwinnett County Police Department, the second-largest police office inwards the full state, has levied accusations that the Little Kings & Queens organization is little to a greater extent than a pretense for an illegal resistance casino. Last week, constabulary arrested 51-year-old Dennis Maxwell, the theater director of the supposed charity, on a felony depend of running an illicit gambling intrigue and a similar violation count.
An investigation conducted past the Gwinnett Police Department learned that Little Kings & Queens was running an illegal gaming surgery under a pretence of a 501(c)(3) kindly organization,” constabulary ship's officer and representative Hideshi Valle said in a release. “As a result, over $30,000 in illegal monetary resource were seized, and the business is unsympathetic at this time.”
The Little Kings & Queens website advertises hebdomadary poker tournaments. The brotherly love also says it put up supply casino nights with other tabular array games for nonprofits wishing to fundraise through and through openhearted gaming.
Georgia is one of the to the highest degree restrictive states when it comes to gambling. The res publica is loose of commercial and tribal casinos, and sports betting is additionally outlawed. However, Empire State of the South permits sure forms of sympathetic gaming, including bingo, raffles, and other little games of chance, so long as the meshing revenue is donated to nonprofits.
Millions Raised
According to revenue enhancement records reviewed past Gwinnett law of nature enforcement, in that location is no money train for where Little Kings & Queens’ meshwork revenue went.
According to the charity’s tax returns for 2016 through and through 2019, Little Kings & Queens generated a add up income of to a greater extent than $3.3 million. Empire State of the South assess laws require that from each one benevolent gaming organisation ply inwards item where such money went.
Gwinnett natural law enforcement says Little Kings & Queens’ taxation filings simply sorted all distributions into a chunk summation itemized as “DONATIONS PAID OUT.” In 2019, the non-profit-making claimed it disbursed o'er $1 one thousand thousand to charities.
Maxwell was released on a $1,300 bring together over the weekend. The bust seemingly took many regulars at the salamander reefer by surprise.
“This is just now wrong,” said Josh Book of Daniel on Facebook commenting on a post from the system expression it will follow unsympathetic until further notice. “Y’all get through with(p) nil but honest things for many people and many organizations.”
“What the what?” asked Trey Goodman, also on Facebook. Another person, Beth Murray, said she was “so sorry to try this” and that the developments are “very unfortunate person for the charities.”
Publicized Donations Minimal
Little Kings & Queens’ tax filings come non reveal where the to a greater extent than $3.3 jillion in revenue went. However, the poker charity’s website lists recent donations, but the gifts would seemingly add up nowhere close the millions the non-profit-making raked inward and claimed it donated elsewhere.
For example, inward January 2022, Little Kings & Queens told the public it made a $9,150 donation to Adventure Bags, an system that gives displaced children guardianship bags. Little Kings & Queens also says it gave $910 to the Gwinnett County Jail Dog Program and $1,425 to the Lawrenceville Community Food Bank.
Other Jan donations made public include $531 to the Lupus Foundation of America, $547 to the All About Cats Rescue, $427 to My Sister’s Place, and $765 to Lost-N-Found Youth.
In total, Little Kings & Queens’ public contributions total roughly $13,000 inwards January 2022. No homage engagement has been exercise set for Maxwell to move into a plea.