An investigation in Southern California into an alleged illegal gambling operation has led to the arrest of a Santa Maria business owner.
Police say Sam Grair of Santa Maria was taken into custody and subsequently booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on Thursday morning on illegal gambling charges including wagering, bookmaking, and possession of an illegal gambling device, according to local sources.
After months of investigation by the Community Services Unit of the Santa Maria Police Department, the suspected illegal gambling operation at the local business, the Sax Fun Zone, Santa Maria Police officers along with California Department of Justice investigators, served a search warrant at the computer gaming center located at the 100 block of West Main Street, according to the report.
During the search warrant, items seized reportedly included illegal slot machines, computers, large amounts of cash, and various gambling paraphernalia.
Santa Maria police said some arrests were made inside of the Sax Fun Zone when the search warrant was served. The individuals were reportedly arrested on a variety of charges including outstanding warrants and possession of narcotics, according to reports.
The Sax Fun Zone has reportedly been shut down.