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9:50 a.m. • 2-11-12

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Video poker operator fined, sent to prison


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Cumberland Authorities Force Video Poker Operators to Fold
Cumberland Authorities Force Video Poker Operators to Fold

The owner of one of North Carolina's largest video poker vendors has been sentenced to prison for money laundering, authorities said Friday.

Michael Waguespack, 39, of Hope Mills, was sentenced to five months in prison and five months under house arrest. He also was ordered to pay $4,000 in fines and civil settlements of more than $1 million with the federal government and $230,000 with Cumberland County.

Waguespack's company, FunTime Amusements, was raided by federal and Cumberland County investigators two years ago. Agents seized 100 machines and more than $1 million and arrested seven people.

At the time, state law prohibited cash payouts from the machines and limited the number of machines a business could operate.

Video poker became illegal in North Carolina last July.

Federal authorities said FunTime machines were used for illegal gambling and that Waguespack used his business to launder the illicit proceeds.

RELATED TOPICS: Hope Mills, Cumberland County

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This is the dumbest waste of tax payer money I have ever seen!!!!!!

Tax Man...........yes the Cherokee Indians have video poker machines, so you don't even have to leave the state, just take a drive up to the Cherokee Casino.......!!!!

Instead of cracking down on video poker, they need to concentrate on real problems like crack houses, meth labs and gang violence. What a waste of tax payers money but then again, what choice do we have.

Good posts greg and tax....right on the money.

FREEDOM WITH THEIR EXCEPTION!!!!!!!

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