Houston police imagine a sequence of poker-related robberies in current weeks is tied to a bunch of suspects, a few of whom have already been arrested.
A variety of space poker gamers this 12 months have been adopted house and robbed after leaving a neighborhood card room. A lot of the incidents — roughly 20 — have concerned gamers leaving Fortunate J Social Membership, in response to a report from ABC 13 Information in Houston.
What’s Happening with the Houston Poker Scene
Houston is a hotbed for poker, recognized for internet hosting among the juiciest money video games. However the main U.S. metropolis, Texas’ second-largest metropolitan space (7.5 million residents), has been house to a number of violent poker-related incidents in current weeks.
A participant who gained a big sum of cash enjoying playing cards on Aug. 1 was adopted again to his lodge, robbed, and attacked by two suspects captured on surveillance video. The suspects punched the sufferer within the head as he waited for an elevator within the lodge foyer and stole his pockets earlier than bolting out of the constructing in a white sedan.
4 suspects final week allegedly adopted a 70-year-old man who had simply left Fortunate J’s again to his house, the place they tried to rob the poker participant. His spouse, nonetheless, screamed sufficient to scare the suspects away, in response to police.
The suspects — Jayden Batiste, Exavier Brown, Keion Thompson, and Keyveon Thompson — fled from the house in a automobile, however crashed the automobile and tried to flee the scene on foot earlier than being arrested and charged with aggravated theft of an individual over 65.
Keion Thompson had simply obtained, two days prior, a deferred adjudication for allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend in March. He prevented jail time beneath the situation that he keep out of bother, however he was again in bother simply two days later.
The 23-year-old is at the moment being held on the Harris County Jail. He was booked on Aug. 22 and given a $30,000 bond that, as of Tuesday, hasn’t been paid. His brother, Keyveon, can also be nonetheless in custody and has a $20,000 bond set.
Batiste, 23, bonded out on Aug. 23, whereas Brown, 23, stays in custody. Police anticipate extra arrests within the coming weeks. As much as 20 gamers have been focused in current weeks, in response to police.
Authorities imagine the aforementioned alleged criminals are a part of a bunch that has been ready exterior Houston poker rooms and following gamers house. They then allegedly bodily assault the victims and try and steal their possessions.
Fortunate J Social Membership, an 18-table card room, is situated in the identical spot as the previous Johnny Chan’s 88 Social, co-owned by Poker Corridor of Famer Johnny Chan. The room mysteriously closed its doorways in December 2021.
A brand new possession staff got here in weeks later to take over the ability and rename it 101 Poker Membership Richmond, which then grew to become Elite Social Membership and is now Fortunate J Social Membership.
The realm of city has attracted a number of violent incidents on the close by controversial and common Legends Poker Room.
The alleged robbers have additionally focused gamers from two different Houston card rooms since January, ABC 13’s Jessica Willey reported. All suspects who’ve been arrested have upcoming courtroom dates set for October.
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