Portales city councilor, former Roosevelt Co. manager among 10 accused of illegal gambling.
A Portales city councilor and a former Roosevelt County manager are among 10 people charged with illegal gambling in connection with a Dec. 30 undercover investigation at the Portales Country Club, the Portales News-Tribune reported.
Councilman Oscar Robinson and former County Manager Michael Miller were among the 10 charged with petty misdemeanor gambling, which carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a $500 fine, according to records obtained Tuesday from the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
Charges were filed on Jan. 20 in 9th Judicial District Court, the News-Tribune said.
Portales Country Club was cited for commercial gambling on licensed premises, court records said.
Robinson, 70, and Miller, 54, declined comment when contacted by the News-Tribune on Tuesday.
All those charged were observed by an undercover officer around 11 p.m. Dec. 30 playing Texas Hold ’em at the country club, and were videotaped on a hidden camera worn by Agent Victor Rodriquez of the Special Investigations Division, according to court records.
Also charged as a result of the operation were Jerry L. Wood, 71, of Portales; Ronald Tiner, 53, of Portales; Darwin Chenault, 47, of Portales; H.G. “Gail” Cissell, 66, of Clovis; Gary Harper, 62, of Portales; Lance Wood, 33, of Portales; John Lara, 40, of Roswell; and Marla Foster, 44, of Portales, the News-Tribune said.
8:50am 1/6/11 — Portales Country Club Cited for Gambling: DPS mum on details of Dec. 30 citation until conferring with local DA on possible criminal charges.
State officials cited the Portales Country Club for gambling after a Department of Public Safety Special Investigations Division agent checked on the club just before 11 p.m. Dec. 30, the Portales News-Tribune reported.
State Police Lt. Eric Garcia said the citation is an administrative matter and will be forwarded to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department’s Alcohol and Gaming Division, which will review the citation for possible action, the News-Tribune said.
Garcia declined to discuss the details of the citation until investigators meet with District Attorney Matt Chandler’s staff to determine whether criminal charges are warranted, the paper reported.
