Santa Ana Illegal Gambling, Bribery Case Leads to Plea Deal in California

One of the suspects inward a widespread Santa Ana, Calif. play den and bribery investigating has in agreement(p) to a plea deal. He could face upwardly to 20 years inwards prison inwards interchange for his shamefaced plea.

Niem Ngoc Ha, also known as “Dung Body,” 47, of Fountain Valley, Calif. will plead shamed to III federal charges: conspiracy, operating an illegal gambling business, and bribery, prosecutors revealed this week. The pleas could be entered inwards federal court of justice within a few weeks.

Ha allegedly ran quaternary illegal casinos inwards Santa Ana with triad other defendants. The other defendants face a trial that is scheduled to start next May.

The casinos included video play machines and earned thousands of dollars day-after-day inwards profits, prosecutors added.

Ha also told another suspect to assault a frequenter and an employee was ordered to follow pellet in the neck, prosecutors and country officials make revealed.

In May, CA and federal authorities bust up the illegal gambling dens inwards Santa Ana as piece of a far-reaching investigation.

Extortion, Drug Trafficking

A number of niner suspects were either apprehended or are allay existence sought on play charges or related to crimes, such as extortion and dose trafficking, feds revealed inward May. Numerous play devices were seized.

One of the other suspects is Mindy Bui, also known as “Thuy,” 36, of Westminster, Calif. Bui allegedly managed the illegal venues. Also, suspect Honganh Thi Pham, also known as “Hong,” 40, of Garden Grove, Calif. also managed the casinos, feds said.

As of May, authorities were still seeking 2 other suspects. One is Sammy Cardona, also known as “Peanut,” 36, of Santa Ana. He allegedly used “violence to protect defendant Ha’s illicit casinos,” according to a federal indictment.

Bribes to Police Officer

The suspects also allegedly paid $128,000 inwards bribes to a Santa Ana police force officer, Steven Lopez. In return, Lopez in agreement(p) to preclude or stoppage practice of law enforcement compliance checks at the illegal businesses, prosecutors said.

Lopez has pleaded shamed to accepting the bribes. He is no yearner a law officer. He is scheduled to live sentenced on June 5, 2023.

Santa Ana is 34 miles SE of Los Angeles.

Slaphouses Explained

The casinos inwards the Santa Ana compositor's case are called “nets” when inward a commercial-grade district, or “slaphouses” when inwards a residential neighborhood, prosecutors explained.

The full term “slaphouse” relates to players “slapping” the controls on some of the games, KABC, a local TV station, explained inwards a recent report.

Also, these kinds of play trading operations sometimes are obscure in deserted businesses. California authorities hold been trying to offer land on these illicit trading operations inward recent years. Many investigations get looked at gang up connections to the play dens, too.

Organized felonious activity and illegal play schemes will not be tolerated in California,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said inward a May statement.

“Families end-to-end our tell merit to conjure their children and unrecorded inward safe neighborhoods, free from illicit and illegal activity,” Bonta added.