2 accused of running gambling operation in Richmond smoke shop

RICHMOND, Ky. (FOX 56) — Two men have been accused of running a gambling operation behind locked doors at Richmond Smoke Tobacco Outlet.

The tip came in around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday after a patron was denied access to the gambling room. Officers noted that the tipster reported they’d previously won $12,000 playing slots at Richmond Smoke Tobacco Outlet over the summer. However, after losing approximately $2,500 on Wednesday and returning with more cash, they were reportedly denied access to the machines.

The Richmond Police Department asked 46-year-old employee Maheshkumar Patel if there were any “skills machines” on the property. Officers were told there were, but that they’d need to speak with the store’s manager, 32-year-old Kirankumar Patel.

Officers noticed a pair of black double doors at the back of the store, which were locked through a remote behind the counter, marked as offices, and were for employee access only. Court documents note that two men, who were not employees, were seen leaving from the back of the store.

Inside a back room that smelled strongly of cigarettes, per an arrest citation, officers found seven gambling machines, three of which were being used by patrons.

Once Kirankumar arrived, he reportedly disconnected all the machines, a surveillance system, and DVR, gathered over $8,500 in cash, and placed approximately $6,492 under the driver’s seat of his vehicle. An arrest citation notes that when detectives asked him how to print receipts from daily payouts, he advised the detective to press a sequence of buttons that erased all data from the system.

Around $9,000 and seven gambling machines were seized from the storefront, according to Richmond Police. Maheshkumar denied having any knowledge of the gambling operation.

Both men were arrested and lodged at the Madison County Detention Center but were released on Thursday, according to jail records.

Kirankumar was charged with the following:

• Operation of a sham or front company
• First-degree promoting gambling
• 10 counts of tampering with physical evidence
• Seven counts of possession of a gambling device

Maheshkumar was charged with the operation of a sham or front company and first-degree promoting gambling.