Indian Lake lodges admit illegal gambling, forfeit nearly $70,000

Logan County Common Pleas Judge Mark S. O’Connor also ordered that each club pay a $750 fine and court costs.

The Indian Lake Lodge 1533 Loyal Order of Moose and Indian Lake Aerie 3615 Fraternal Order of Eagles Inc. each was charged during an investigation by the Ohio Investigative Unit’s Cincinnati District Office that began in April after complaints of illegal gambling at the Eagles, Chief Assistant Logan County Prosecutor Eric Stewart said in court Monday.

Agents began undercover operations at the Eagles and learned by July that there were similar machines located in the Moose, Mr. Stewart said. The two lodges are located adjacent to each other at 14011 Collingwood Ave. and 11044 Lake St., Lakeview.

After several undercover visits to each of the lodges, the agents executed a search warrant on Nov. 13 and seized six machines from each establishment, along with $23,073 from the Eagles and $44,195 from the Moose.

A local grand jury indicted the Moose on five counts of gambling and one count of operating an illegal gambling house, and the Eagles on six counts of gambling and one count of operating an illegal gambling house. Each corporation, through its representatives, pleaded guilty to a single count of gambling and the remainder of the counts were dismissed.

Kurt Gearhiser, a Columbus lawyer who specializes in charitable gambling, liquor permit and administrative law, represented both lodges and said there is some confusion about what types of games are legal at this time. He said new state regulations are expected to be released later this year.

“There has been a tremendous amount of confusion over the last decade regarding the legality or illegality of video gambling machines,” the lawyer said. “Even if we could have argued about the legality of some of the machines, some of them clearly are a violation.”

Charles Kline, president of the Eagles Aerie, and Mike Uhlenhaike, administrator of the Moose Lodge, spoke on behalf of their respective organizations.

“We are an organization that is dedicated to our community and we are very proud of that,” Mr. Kline said. “We contribute to hospice, the firefighters and police departments and we have a meal for Our Daily Bread there.

“We understand we made a mistake, and if we ever put machines back in it will be ones that are fully compliant.”

“Be gentle,” Mr. Uhlenhaike said to the judge prior to the imposition of the fine. “The Moose is a good organization and we do a lot of service to our community and our fraternity.”

Trial results in acquittal

FORD

Edwin A. Ford, 39, of Bellefontaine, was acquitted of two counts of felony domestic violence during a jury trial late last week before visiting Judge Roger B. Wilson.

He was charged in connection with a May incident filed by his wife Lindsay.

Mr. Ford remains in the Logan County Jail on charges of kidnapping, a first-degree felony; two counts of felonious assault, second-degree felonies; and theft of drugs, a fourth-degree felony, for a Feb. 3 incident in which Ms. Ford said Mr. Ford held her against her will and assaulted her.

A trial date on the most recent charges has not yet been set.

Man admits arson, theft charges

BARKER

A man who originally faced 23 charges for a night of criminal mischief in Quincy admitted a fourth-degree felony count of arson and two theft charges.

James O. Barker Jr., 31, a former Quincy resident who said in court he is currently living in Springfield, was charged in connection with an Aug. 1 series of crimes in which at least 10 vehicles were entered and two were damaged by fire.

William L. Smith’s 1976 Harley-Davidson motorcycle was set on fire at 207 Main St. and the fire then spread to Mr. Smith’s Cadillac STS. The car sustained heavy front damage, and the motorcycle was a total loss.

Mr. Barker will be sentenced April 4.

WAHL

• Benjamin Wahl, 20, a Bowling Green State University student from Huntsville, entered guilty pleas to three counts of trespassing in a habitation and was placed in the court’s intervention in lieu of conviction program. 

He admitted to be being high on drugs when he jumped through windows of three residences in the area of Rude and Lima streets in  Huntsville in the early morning hours of Aug. 12. He cut himself on glass as he crashed through the windows and was taken to Mary Rutan Hospital for his injuries. No items were taken from the homes, however.

Mr. Wahl must complete three years of community control with monitoring for alcohol and substance abuse.

• Brandy Stelzer, 27, of Bellefontaine, entered a guilty plea to trafficking in the prescription drug clonazepam for a June undercover operation by the Logan County Joint Drug Task Force. She was placed on the intervention program.

• Ashley Shepherd, 30, of Bellefontaine, pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in heroin for November drug buys conducted by the task force. She will be sentenced April 4.

Sentences imposed

JANES	WHITING
STANLEY	POTTER

Misty Janes, 23, of Bellefontaine, was ordered to spend 10 months in the Ohio Reformatory for Women for a fifth-degree felony count of possession of drugs. She was arrested for having four prescription opiate pills in her possession during a Nov. 4 domestic dispute with her father at the Rushsylvania One Stop, 125 N. Sandusky St., Rushsylvania.

She was granted 115 days’ jail credit.

• Keith Whiting, 51, of Bellefontaine, was ordered to spend two years in prison for a third-degree felony domestic violence conviction. He has already served 105 days.

• Savannah Stanley, 31, of Bellefontaine, was sentenced to 11 months for two counts of trafficking in drugs.

• Zachary Potter, 30, of Lakeview, was sentenced to 30 days in the Logan County Jail and was given credit for six days served for one count of trafficking in drugs. He was also ordered to pay a $250 fine and had his driver’s license suspended six months.