Charity Poker Scammers Face Multiple Felony Charges

A charity gambling casino in Fort Wayne, Indiana has been shut down after its operators were accused of unlawful charity gaming contracting, corrupt business influence, theft and professional gambling.
For more than a year, the Parnell Poker Palace at 4608 Parnell Ave has been under investigation by the Indiana Gaming Commission, who have now gathered enough evidence to bring their case against property owner George Kotsopoulos (51), his business partner Edward R. Miers (46) and the three men accussed of operating the non-profit organization, Ralph T. White (54), Larry L. York (46) and Charles I. Keller (67).
The Parnell Poker Palace has been registered as a nonprofit gambling operation since its inception in Dec. 18, 2008, and relied on blackjack, poker, dice games and roulette to raise money for non-profit White’s School of the Arts Community Development Programs, which offered 24-hour care, educational and athletic programs for vulnerable inner-city children.
However, allegedly not all the funds raised were being used for the benefit of their intended recipients, and  Larry Rollins of the Indiana Gaming Commission commenting on the situation said, “When people then decide that they can profit for themselves by conducting charity events, that’s when it really crosses the line.”
Suspicions first fell on the Parnell Poker Palace after it was learned that the dealers, who were all supposed to be volunteers, were receiving under the table payments for their services of between $10 and $30 an hour and were requested to keep their earnings secret. Further alarm bells were rang when Ralph T. White deposited Poker Palace money into a Wells Fargo Bank account under his own name, instead of at the Salin Bank under the name of “White’s School of the Arts.”
As the case continues, the court has also been hearing how the Parnell Poker Palace was raking in up to $100,000 each month with owner George Kotsopoulos allegedly pocketing $20,000 a month in rent rather than the $2,400 a month that was claimed.