An Edinburg man was arrested Wednesday after police learned he was the owner of an establishment promoting gambling using 8-liner machines.
Rolando Beltran is charged with gambling promotion, keeping a gambling place, communicating gambling information, possession of gambling device and money laundering.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Edinburg police surveyed 721 and 723 S. Raul Longoria Rd. in reference to a gambling operation in progress on Monday.
One officer was able to conduct a traffic stop on a patron leaving the location and “learned from a public source of information that there were 8-liner machines inside of 721 S. Raul Longoria with several games.”
The affidavit states that a certain amount of points or money were required while playing the games in order to cash out and receive coins or ticket stubs which could be redeemed at 723 S. Raul Longoria for cash or other prizes.
According to the document, police learned the owner of the establishment to be Beltran and that it was being financed through an unidentified “Indian doctor.”
Police observed “a heavy set” man wearing blue walking between both locations “back and forth” before leaving northbound on S. Raul Longoria in a silver Nissan Altima prior to Beltran’s arrest.
Constant visual surveillance was held on the Nissan until another officer was able to conduct a traffic stop on Beltran for failing to drive within a single marked lane at the 4800 block of E. University Drive.
Beltran didn’t have a driver’s license and was in possession of a large amount of currency, the document said.
“The currency was separated by brown bags with numbers and also had receipts, financial information, keys and other documentation of gambling machines,” the affidavit said.
Beltran was initially arrested for not having a driver’s license and his cellphone, cash and vehicle were taken to the Edinburg Police Department.
The total amount of currency collected from the traffic stop equaled to $7,710.
Along with the confiscated cash, police took receipts of payouts and funds placed back into an Automated Teller Machine from gambling machines which were later tagged as evidence.
The next day, on Tuesday, a search warrant granted by state District Judge Fernando Mancias was executed on both locations at about 7:08 p.m. in which ledgers, gambling paraphernalia, 8-liner machines, video surveillance equipment, internet equipment and $4,680 from an Automated Teller Machine were recovered and also tagged as evidence.
The affidavit states that when Beltran “implicated himself in the operation of a gambling location.”
Beltran bailed out of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on $60,000 in bonds the next day following his arrest.
