Papers provide details of alleged gambling den

BACLIFF — The state’s attempt through a lawsuit to seize dozens of 8-liner machines, cash and game room property provides an inside look at undercover officers’ experience inside the accused gambling den.

Prosecutor Brent Haynes, on behalf of Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Jack Roady, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Neptune’s Treasures game room in Bacliff.

The sheriff’s office raided the Bacliff game room, 4217 state Highway 146, on Nov. 7. It also raided a Bacliff residence in the 4200 block of Ross.

Deputies seized, among other things, $6,412, 52 video 8-liner machines, a 2010 Nissan Rogue, television and computers, according to the lawsuit.

Ronald George Ally, 53, of Tucker, Ga., was charged with felony money laundering and engaging in organized crime, a sheriff’s office spokesman said. He was released on $7,000 bond.

Ally is among those named in the lawsuit. He has a court date Tuesday on the criminal charges, Hayes said.

The state seeks to seize the property, alleging it was acquired in the commission of engaging in organized crime and money laundering. The lawsuit accuses Ally and another man of operating Neptune’s Treasures.

It is unclear whether anyone named in the lawsuit besides Ally has been charged.

Gary Echols, a sheriff’s office detective, filed an affidavit with the lawsuit, detailing undercover officers’ experience inside the game room.

On April 18, a woman, 32, allowed one officer inside. The officer saw a white man in a dimly lit room, possibly the office, behind a wall that had a one-way mirror. The woman took the officer to the man, who made the officer’s membership card, the lawsuit states.

The woman told the officer to put his card in a machine mounted on the wall and to put the money he intended to play in the machine. The detective put $10 on the membership card, and the woman told him she’d match the first $5 or $10, the lawsuit states.

The detective put his card in the 8-liner, and it automatically transferred the money as credits on the machine. The woman did the same thing in a cash match, the lawsuit states.

The detective played until his credits were gone. The investigation determined Ally was the sole proprietor of the game room, the lawsuit states.

Dinging Sounds, Drawer Of Cash

On May 16, a detective returned to the game room, presented his membership card, and a woman, 40, let him inside. The detective played $10 on an 8-liner, and the woman matched his $10. The detective played until the machine had a $30 balance and he “cashed out,” the lawsuit states.

The detective went to a back wall by a one-way mirror and put his membership card in a drawer, which was mounted on the wall, the lawsuit states.

“After a few seconds, there was a dinging sound,” the lawsuit states, noting the woman told the detective the card was ready.

“The undercover detective opened the drawer and removed his membership card and $30 cash,” the lawsuit states.

An undercover detective returned Oct. 3, using his membership card to enter the game room, and put $20 on the card. He received a $10 match. He spent all the credits, but decided to try again.

Try, Try Again

The detective put $10 more on the card, received the match and returned to the same machine to play again, the lawsuit states.

“The detective played until he reached $75 and then cashed out,” the lawsuit states.

He went to the drawer and after a few seconds, the drawer pushed open and he removed $75 and his membership card, the lawsuit states. There was no mention of a dinging sound this time.

Finally, on Nov. 4, a detective returned and an older woman let him. He played $10, received a $10 match and cashed out with $40, the lawsuit states.

This time, a dinging sound accompanied the drawer opening with $40 cash and the membership card, the lawsuit states.

Ally obtained tax permits April 18 for the 52 machines at a cost of $585, the lawsuit claims.

The sheriff’s office Nov. 7 went to District Court Judge David Garner for a search warrant, and deputies seized the property.