A county coroner in South Carolina who was arrested throughout a poker residence recreation raid is preventing again with a lawsuit in opposition to the police company that put him in handcuffs.
Gary Watts, 67, was considered one of three poker gamers arrested throughout a 2024 raid for allegedly working an unlawful poker recreation. The three people — Watts, Adam Watts (28), and Daniel Schaffer (53) — had been charged with preserving illegal gaming tables.
Police additionally charged seven others for taking part in within the alleged unlawful video games and seized $15,000 in money.
“Any such exercise is in opposition to state legislation, and won’t be tolerated in Irmo,” stated Irmo Police Chief Bobby Dale following the raid. “Now we have seen in previous playing operations that lives have been misplaced due to the monetary greed of some concerned. We won’t permit this exercise to be part of our neighborhood.”
A courtroom in 2025, nevertheless, dominated that the video games weren’t unlawful, and Watts is now in search of monetary retribution.
Poker Recreation Host Recordsdata Lawsuit
Watts, a former Richland County coroner, hosted poker video games in an workplace constructing. State legislation particularly prohibits playing in places reminiscent of taverns, liquor shops, streets, and race tracks. However there isn’t any point out within the legislation of an workplace suite being prohibited.
The native poker participant, following his arrest, claimed the video games had been performed amongst buddies, and he wasn’t working any kind of on line casino enterprise. A courtroom sided with him, and he filed a lawsuit in opposition to the State Regulation Enforcement Division (SLED) and the City of Irmo.
Watts, within the lawsuit filed within the Richland County Widespread Pleas Courtroom on Aug. 25, claims the SLED broke the legislation, not him. He accuses police of false arrest, malicious prosecution, and trespassing.
Each the SLED and town of Irmo responded publicly to the lawsuit.
“Whereas we don’t agree with the exceedingly inventive characterizations within the Amended Criticism, the correct plan of action is to permit our judicial course of to run its course. The City of Irmo stays dedicated to transparency, accountability, and appearing in one of the best curiosity of our neighborhood,” city spokeswoman Ashley Hunter instructed The State, a South Carolina information outlet.
Renee Wunderlich, a spokesperson for the SLED, stated in an announcement: “It could be improper for SLED to debate pending litigation.”
Watts’ attorneys, within the lawsuit, assert that police arrested a innocent “group of buddies who routinely collect in an workplace suite to play poker, have dinner, and share fellowship.”
“An workplace suite has by no means been an illegal location for a poker recreation. There was no cheap foundation to imagine that Watts had dedicated any crime,” the lawsuit reads.
An informant tipped off the authorities in regards to the alleged unlawful poker video games, which led to the raid. The investigation lasted months earlier than arrests had been made.
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