State gambling investigators and Vallejo police raided an alleged illegal gambling business on Sonoma Boulevard and seized three multiplayer gambling machines, Attorney General Rob Bonta's office announced.
The raid
- Officers served a search warrant around 7 a.m. Oct. 21 at a business in the 2400 block of Sonoma Boulevard, between Alabama and Louisiana streets, CBS San Francisco reported. Police called the business a "Bi-Zone."
- Eight people were detained inside. Investigators seized three illegal multiplayer gambling machines.
- Three of the people detained had outstanding warrants and were booked into Solano County Jail. Two had failure-to-appear warrants from Solano County, according to CBS. The third had a Sonoma County contempt-of-court warrant with bail set at $100,000, according to CBS.
How the case started
In July, Vallejo police passed the state a tip that illegal gambling businesses were operating in the city, according to the Attorney General's office. The Department of Justice's Bureau of Gambling Control took the lead and prepared the warrant, and Vallejo's SWAT team served it. The AG's office said charges will be filed with the Solano County District Attorney's Office. Charges are allegations, and anyone charged is presumed innocent.
"Illegal gambling establishments operating in Vallejo are a public safety concern," Police Chief Jason Ta said. Bonta added: "Let this operation serve as a lesson to not bet against the California Department of Justice." Officials have not released the names of the people arrested.