What's missing here? (1 Viewer)

brains613

brains613

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Notice anything?

Police raided my game on Wednesday. Took all my chips (well, most.), cards, dealer buttons. My TVs, my guns (!), and my effing Orleans table! They came in a camo, masks, carrying ARs. Held the players and my family at gunpoint, and took me out in cuffs. Charged me with running an illegal gambling establishment, and ticketed the players.

With the chips, they also got my friend's Crystal Park set, and his PNY set, which we were using at the time.

They tore my place up, including literally cutting into mattresses. They took our vacation money from my partner. (We were due to fly to Paris in three weeks...)

They were clearly looking for drugs, illegal guns, and other contraband. (They found literally nothing. Multiple players told me later that they overheard a few officers talking among themselves, saying "there's nothing here.")

They drained the money from multiple bank accounts. I had to borrow some money to take care of my first of the month bills...

Crazily, they left a bunch of chips on my living room floor that were there already. Some warped Dunes that I was planning on flattening, like 20 sample sets because my display cases had fallen over , A BCC FOC set that I was debating on selling, and some chips I had sold, but hadn't shipped yet. It's like 800 chips that they just walked around, and ignored. Literally sitting on the floor.

My girls are traumatized, and I'm effing PISSED
 
How the hell did they find out about the game and Wtf! Sorry to here this man, absolutely crazy. Do you have big games often? From what I've heard most cops don't care about small time poker games with friends but this is pretty scarey stuff.
 
Wow. I’ve been in your shoes with police in masks and guns pointed at me while sitting at a poker table and I can remember the feeling vividly. I was only a player and we were out of there pretty quick compared to how long they were there, but I didn’t like that feeling and I can’t imagine how your family feels. I was in my 20s and in the middle of feeling invincible and still scared shitless when the first few came in with fingers on the trigger.

I have no idea your situation but if you are truly doing nothing wrong I hope you get made whole somehow.
 
My game is actually pretty public, and has been for years. I started a meetup group like 10 years ago. There have been police plants in the game before, we're sure of it, but it's never been an issue. I'm convinced that they thought there was more going here than just a poker game. They seriously came in with like 30 dudes, fully kitted up.
 
Do you collect any form of rake from the game? My understanding is that under VA law as long as its a sociable home game, you should be good. As both a former defense attorney and prosecutor, I encourage you to hire a defense attorney ASAP, particularly one who is established in the area. This could be a "quick" fix in that your attorney reaches out to the states attorney they routinely deal with and gets this all straightened out. Without additionally details, it seems extremely odd to me that they would come in guns hot like for such a "small time" game, especially in a state that appears to allow sociable home games. Have you had any issues with neighbors or players from your game recently?

One of the glaring things that jumps out to me is what probable cause they had to raid the game. They would have needed a search warrant, so I'd be interested to see what the underlying probable cause was that they are using to justify this. There has to be someone involved in your game, or one of your neighbors, who went to the cops and gave a sworn statement. Take pictures and document all of the damage that was done to your property. If the cops knowingly BS'd information that went into the warrant/search authorization, you may have a lawsuit later on down the road, but that's just speculation right now and you'll need an attorney in your state to help with that.
 
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Game is 1/2. Not exactly penny ante, but not exactly high stakes either. No rake here.

Defense attorney has been consulted, and I'm pretty sure it will get worked out in the end, it's just the hassle of getting there. My girl said that they just dumped chips in boxes, and it sounded like they damaged the table taking it apart. She said they were playing with the chips, and repeatedly working the bolt on one of my rifles. I'm not hopeful that they took care when transporting my stuff. I'm also worried that someone will figure out the value of some of it and it "gets lost".
 
Holy fucking shit! What narc led the police to think you had drugs? This is awful and I can feel your pain and anger right now. Thank you for sharing this and I just hope that everything is safely returned to you. You said you have had the game for years, did someone get upset with you recently to the point they'd snitch you out? Find that rat.
 
chicubs1988 said:
Do you collect any form of rake from the game? My understanding is that under VA law as long as its a sociable home game, you should be good. As both a former defense attorney and prosecutor, I encourage you to hire a defense attorney ASAP, particularly one who is established in the area. This could be a "quick" fix in that your attorney reaches out to the states attorney they routinely deal with and gets this all straightened out. Without additionally details, it seems extremely odd to me that they would come in guns hot like for such a "small time" game, especially in a state that appears to allow sociable home games. Have you had any issues with neighbors or players from your game recently?

One of the glaring things that jumps out to me is what probable cause they had to raid the game. They would have needed a search warrant, so I'd be interested to see what the underlying probable cause was that they are using to justify this. There has to be someone involved in your game, or one of your neighbors, who went to the cops and gave a sworn statement. Take pictures and document all of the damage that was done to your property. If the cops knowingly BS'd information that went into the warrant/search authorization, you may have a lawsuit later on down the road, but that's just speculation right now and you'll need an attorney in your state to help with that.
Click to expand...
Nice advice here. Good to know there many reliable sources on PCF.
 
Anybody in your game rather shady? You may have been collateral damage of another investigation going on.

If one of your players is into drugs and at your game regularly they may have figured your game as a front for the drugs or laundering the money.
 
How bizarre and upsetting! Definitely seems like there has to be more to the story you aren’t currently aware of (maybe someone that attends issues or false accusations).

Hope that the process doesn’t continue to be hard on the family and that it wraps up expeditiously!
 
If my game was ever raided by the law or criminals my wife would never let me have a game again so I make sure it is a private game. Invite only among people I know. No illegal drugs or other criminal activities at all. Nothing to put my family or the game at risk.
 
This is insane. Do you have a game full of sketchy people? Guns hot at a neighborhood poker game? This doesn't add up - you got enemies in high places??

Edit to say of course that i am sorry this happened - I can't image if this was to happen to me. Wow.
 
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This doesn’t really have anything to do with this travesty, but In my many years of traveling this country, the Virginia Beach cops are biggest pieces of sheet I’ve ever encountered in my whole life. They suck so bad I get riled up just thinking about them. They suck. Motherfuckas
 
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I know I'm new here but I feel like I'm missing something, why would they raid you specifically? Are you a known/former crime boss? Play with questionable players? Seems like it's just so strange. Also that sucks
 
This is absolutely terrible. I feel bad that your family had to experience this!
 
This just seems surreal. What the fuck.

I hope you get your stuff back, I hope your family can come to peace with the situation, and I hope the jurisdiction comps you in some way for treating your 1/2 rake free game like a mafia HQ
 
Kensco said:
Due process
Click to expand...

At the risk of trailing into politics, will probably cost more to get it back, assuming they don't make up a reason to call it a civil asset forfeiture.

Strictly from a human trauma standpoint being held at gunpoint I imagine doesn't feel a ton better when it's a cop versus anyone else.

I would be curious who signed the warrant and why.
 
This sounds like a clear snitch.
The higher the stakes and the more public the game (ie the less well-known the players to the host) the more probable this shit may happen.
I live in a country where any visit by the cops is a blessing -normally welcomed with drinks- and the true risk comes from criminals possibly knowing that there's something like 1K on the table and/or in people's pockets:D
I hope your property is returned to you and you get somewhat compensated or just acquitted. Un-f*ckin-believable.:(
 
JustinInMN said:
What's the difference?
Click to expand...
I'd like to think cops wouldn't hurt someone without a reason... Bad guys will hurt someone just so no one else decides to be a hero... That, and cops will only seize things they can at least tangentially attach to criminal activity. Bad guys would've taken every player's wallet, jewelry, etc. too.
 

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