San Jose police busted two homes in residential areas that they say were fronts for illegal casinos, arresting seven people in the process.
Police said the homes – one located on Marchant Court and the other on North Capitol Avenue – were hubs for various illegal activities, including gambling, drug dealing, assaults, and the buying and selling of stolen property.
"What these homes turned into is a den of criminal activity," San Jose police Sgt. Christian Camarillo said.
The seven suspects, all San Jose residents and between the ages of 35 and 54, were identified by police as Nhu Huynh, Anita Nguyen, Truong Trang, Dat Nguyen, Thang Nguyen, Phuoc Nguyen and Quynh Pham.
Police said Huynh was already on their radar.
"On Sept. 4, he actually stabbed one of the people that was there visiting this illegal operation," Camarillo said. "That person subsequently reported the incident...It just goes to show what was occurring at some of these locations."
Detectives obtained search and arrest warrants for the casino and the operators last Thursday. When the warrants were served, authorities detained multiple people and arrested the seven suspects, police said.
Authorities found seven ounces of cocaine, a makeshift crack-cocaine conversion laboratory, several thousand dollars in cash, multiple casino machines and stolen retail property, according to police.
Get a weekly recap of the latest San Francisco Bay Area housing news. >Sign up for NBC Bay Area’s Housing Deconstructed newsletter.
One of the suspects who was arrested was carrying a loaded gun and cocaine. Five of the arrested suspects had outstanding felony warrants.
Police have been busting illegal gambling operations for years – some in cafes, others inside laundromats. Detectives are sure more are out there.
Anyone with information about this case or any other similar incidents is encouraged to contact the San Jose Police Department's Burglary Prevention Unit at 408-537-1200. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 408-947-7867 or submit a tip online.
