A man found to be operating at least nine illegal gambling dens across San Diego, California has received a six-year prison sentence.
assault, stabbings, shootings, robberies, homicides, and the sale of drugs
Long Ngoc Tran was sentenced this week after pleading guilty to the federal charges. Prosecutors alleged that his gambling dens attracted violent criminal activity, such as assault, stabbings, shootings, robberies, homicides, and the sale of drugs. The dens mainly featured electronic gambling machines, such as slots.
Tran was indicted alongside 46 others in 2021 by a grand jury. Prosecutors outlined how the 42-year-old had been arrested previously for gambling offenses in 2015. Upon arresting Tran and searching his residence in 2015, police discovered six slot machines, cash, and drugs. He received two years in a state prison on that occasion.
Prosecutors believe that Tran didn’t wait long after his release to resume his illegal gambling operations. A recent law enforcement campaign examined criminal activity linked to about 36 different illegal gambling establishments across San Diego. Tran was identified as the “most prolific gambling den operator uncovered by the investigation.”