Four indicted on money laundering charges in connection to illegal gaming in Springfield

Four men were arrested and charged with money laundering: Kristopher Deitz (top left), Scott Gregory (top right), Suresh Patel (bottom left) and Yashvantkumar Patel (bottom right).

Four men were arrested and charged with money laundering: Kristopher Deitz (top left), Scott Gregory (top right), Suresh Patel (bottom left) and Yashvantkumar Patel (bottom right).
News
By
Dec 21, 2021
X

Four men arrested in October after a joint investigation by local an state law enforcement officials were indicted this week on charges related to money laundering and illegal video gaming in Springfield.

Kristopher Deitz, 33, of Stathan, Georgia; Scott Gregory, 36, of Brunswick, Georgia; Suresh Patel, 47, of Taylor, Michigan; and Yashvantkumar Patel, 47, of Lowndesboro, Alabama, were all indicted in the Clark County Common Pleas Court on Monday. Each is charge with money laundering and enforcement of chapter 3772.99 of the Ohio Revised Code, which relates to casino gaming, according to court records.

As of Tuesday evening, none of the men was listed as inmates at Clark County Jail.

Deitz, Gregory and both Patels pleaded not guilty to similar charges in Clark County Municipal Court in October.

ExploreSouthside no longer considered food desert with grocery store’s grand opening

In October, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio Investigative Unit seized more than 100 slot and gaming machines and significant amounts of cash as part of a months long investigation into illegal gambling in multiple Clark County locations.

“Following an in-depth surveillance operation, search warrants were executed on five locations within Clark County and Springfield on Oct. 20 and 21, resulting in the confiscation of over 100 slot and gaming machines, plus online game computers, financial records and significant amounts of cash, detailing a substantial period and quantity of illegal activity,” according to a sheriff’s office press release.

Two of the gambling houses in Springfield raided were Roc-In Skilled Games, 1214 N. Bechtle Ave., and Lucky Duck Skills Games, 1942 Mitchell Blvd., according to an affidavit filed in the case.

The investigation identified a number of people as operators of single gambling houses, and investigators identified the distributor of the gaming machines and several of the owners of the gambling houses.

ExploreSpringfield man who died in fiery crash was a ‘genuine person’

Detectives found owners Suresh Patel, Yashvantkumar Patel and gaming distributors Deitz and Gregory with management. All four had keys to gaming consoles and large sums of money, records stated.

Several others were also indicted this week in Clark County on enforcement of chapter 3772.99 charges: Judith Roberts, 60; Linda Baker, 72; Cleveland Kennedy, 49; Maria Henry, 47; Anil Rai, 38; Samita Rai, 36; Alma Wright, 59; Beverly Bradley, 70; Christopher Roberts, 59; Harshadkumar Patel, 39; and Kevin Thompson, 31.

In Other News
1
Registered sex offender from Springfield convicted in attempted bike...
2
City says 2025 budget will be tight, even though income tax revenues...
3
Butler County businesses partner with Xavier U. to create third spaces
4
Clark County Pet of the Week
5
Champaign County Pet of the Week

About the Author

Follow Sydney Dawes on twitter

Sydney Dawes covers news in Montgomery County for Dayton Daily News. She previously worked as a reporter for the Springfield News-Sun, and prior to then, she served as the editor of The Athens NEWS and the Vinton-Jackson Courier. Dawes has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ohio University.