16 arrested in gambling sting

Arrests following Thursday's illegal gambling sting have piled up faster than tokens in a Vegas slot machine.

Sixteen people were arrested Thursday and Friday while DPS criminal intelligence investigators looked into numerous locations operating electronic eight-liner slot machines. DPS officials are accusing the 16 arrested suspects of offering an excessive amount of cash or other prizes for those playing the games, DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange said.

The 16 arrested were charged with gambling promotion, keeping a gambling place and possession of a gambling device, equipment or paraphernalia. All three charges are considered misdemeanors.

Mange stated in a news release that the 16 arrested were:

>> Bobby Ainsworth, 48, of 1921 E. 52nd St.

>> Robert Earl Babcock, 67, of 214 W. 42nd St.

>> Lee Burdett, 38, of 7322B Golder Ave.

>> Bess Ann Davis, 54, of 3727 Andrews Highway No. 2100.

>> Deborah Deanice Ebarb, 50, of 2923 Bookins Ave.

>> William Humphries, 41, of 1906 W. 18th St.

>> Phuoc Van Ngo, 48, of 204 Fossi Hill Drive in Arlington.

>> Lisa Orona, 43, of 4590 N. Texas Ave. No. 121.

>> Nancy Rangel, 42, of 1115 N. Sam Houston Ave.

>> Lisa Marie Rodriguez, 43, of 4590 N. Texas No. 121.

>> Billy Russell, 69, of 1622 Ridgeview St. in Mesquite.

>> Robin Browning Tibbetts, 57, of 214 W. 47th St.

>> Hien Tran, 49, of 7204 Fossi Hill Drive in Arlington.

>> Ofelia Urgiri, whose age and address were not available.

>> Hortencha Yanez, 43, of 505 W. 47th St.

>> Lloyd Yarborough, whose age and address were not available.

Of those 16, Ngo also had a charge of operating a coin-operated machine without a license, also a misdemeanor.

Yarborough and Rangel were also charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, a felony.

Yanez and Burdett were not booked into jail and their charges were not available by press time.

Of the 14 that were booked into the Ector County Detention Center by press time Friday, all but Yarborough and Rangel were released. Ngo's bonds totaled $4,000, Ebarb's totaled $3,500 and the other 10 were out on bonds amounting to $3,000. Yarborough and Rangel's bonds were set at $9,750 each.

It was not clear why Yarborough and Rangel were the only two with the felony charges. Mange said she did not have enough information available to "characterize" any of the arrested people's roles.

A 17th person, Marivel Hernandez, 34, of 1211 W. Ada St. was also arrested on the same three charges given to most of the others and he was free on $3,000 in bonds, but it was not clear if he was connected to the gambling sting. His name was not among the 16 listed by the DPS.

The stings involved the Sweepstakes Internet Café at 2615 N. Grandview Ave., the Reno Lights Internet Café at 4603 Andrews Highway, the Party Game at 4555 E. University Blvd., and the Texas e-Store at the corner of Seventh Street and Allred Avenue. All four businesses were shut down and raided by DPS investigators Thursday morning.

"It's been something we've been keeping an eye on (for four years)," said Ector County Attorney Cathy Linch, who made a request to the state Attorney General's office to look into the four businesses. "Lately it seemed it wasn't so fine anymore."

Non-profit organizations received some of the money taken by the seized eight-liner slot machines in the past. Babcock, who operated the Reno Lights café, told the Odessa American last year that five percent of what he called a "sweepstakes game" was given to the Crisis Center.

Billy Boone, who then was Texas e-Store's attorney, said the proceeds from the eight-liner machines there went to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Abilene attorney said the machines they used were based on the same program used by McDonalds in its Monopoly sweepstakes, and federal investigators from Midland opined that the program was legal early last year.

"I've never seen any decision by any court saying that they were illegal," Boone said, even though he said he was not aware of the seizures until he was told by the Odessa American late Friday afternoon.