Owner of local illegal gambling establishments arrested

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. (WWSB) – A man was arrested on multiple charges including money laundering and maintaining gambling establishments in Englewood.

In recent months, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Florida Gaming Commission has allocated efforts and resources to stop illegal gambling activity that has been on the rise. In an effort to continue to close these establishments for good, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the Tiffany Square Bingo Hall in Englewood.

A search warrant was obtained and resulted in the seizure of approximately 196 electronic gaming machines and the doors being permanently closed.

Information gathered from the Tiffany Square investigation was helpful in investigating another Englewood location, the Cornerstone Arcade.

It was discovered that both Tiffany Square and Cornerstone were owned and operated by the same man, Salim Qadir.

“You would think that after multiple warnings, and the closure of similar establishments in Charlotte County the message would be crystal clear. It seems that this individual didn’t hear us, so I’ll go ahead and repeat it for everyone just in case. If you are choosing to operate an illegal gaming establishment in my county close the doors, or we will close them for you,” said Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell.

A nationwide arrest warrant was issued, and through collaborative efforts with authorities in Forsyth, Georgia, Qadir was located and arrested. He is currently being held on $256,000 bond and is charged with the following.

• RICO, Prohibited activities and defense (Racketeering)
• Money Laundering Over $100,000, First Degree Felony
• Fraud Money Launder Trans 20k Less Than 100k Dollars, Second Degree Felony
• Lottery-Operating Conduct Advertise Drawing Scheme, Third Degree Felony (x2)
• Establish Gambling Place Keep Gambling House, Second Degree Misdemeanor (x2)

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