Georgia Charity Accused of Operating Unlawful Playing Den, Director Arrested

A Georgia charity operating poker tournaments and on line casino nights on the declare that funds raised would profit nonprofits has been accused of harboring an unlawful playing den.

The Little Kings & Queens poker site in Burford, Ga. The supposed nonprofit has been shut down by Gwinnett County police on allegations that the Georgia charity is a entrance for an unlawful playing operation. (Picture: Little Kings & Queens)
The Gwinnett County Police Division, the second-largest police company in all the state, has levied accusations that the Little Kings & Queens group is little greater than a guise for an unlawful underground on line casino. Final week, police arrested 51-year-old Dennis Maxwell, the director of the supposed charity, on a felony rely of operating a bootleg playing scheme and the same misdemeanor rely.

An investigation carried out by the Gwinnett Police Division realized that Little Kings & Queens was operating an unlawful playing operation underneath a guise of a 501(c)(3) charitable group,” police officer and spokesperson Hideshi Valle mentioned in a launch. “Consequently, over $30,000 in unlawful funds had been seized, and the enterprise is closed presently.”

The Little Kings & Queens web site advertises weekly poker tournaments. The charity additionally says it could present on line casino nights with different desk video games for nonprofits wishing to fundraise by means of charitable gaming.
Georgia is likely one of the most restrictive states with regards to playing. The state is freed from business and tribal casinos, and sports activities betting is moreover outlawed. Nonetheless, Georgia permits sure types of charitable gaming, together with bingo, raffles, and different small video games of probability, as long as the online income is donated to nonprofits.
Hundreds of thousands Raised
In keeping with tax information reviewed by Gwinnett regulation enforcement, there is no such thing as a cash path for the place Little Kings & Queens’ internet income went.
In keeping with the charity’s tax returns for 2016 by means of 2019, Little Kings & Queens generated complete revenue of greater than $3.3 million. Georgia tax legal guidelines require that every charitable gaming group present intimately the place such cash went.
Gwinnett regulation enforcement says Little Kings & Queens’ tax filings merely grouped all distributions right into a lump sum itemized as “DONATIONS PAID OUT.” In 2019, the nonprofit claimed it disbursed over $1 million to charities.
Maxwell was launched on $1,300 bond over the weekend. The raid seemingly took many regulars on the poker joint unexpectedly.
“That is simply fallacious,” mentioned Josh Daniel on Fb commenting on a put up from the group saying it will likely be closed till additional discover. “Y’all have performed nothing however good issues for many individuals and lots of organizations.”
“What the what?” requested Trey Goodman, additionally on Fb. One other individual, Beth Murray, mentioned she was “so sorry to listen to this” and that the developments are “very unlucky for the charities.”
Publicized Donations Minimal
Little Kings & Queens’ tax filings don’t reveal the place the greater than $3.3 million in income went. Nonetheless, the poker charity’s web site lists current donations, however the items would seemingly come nowhere close to the thousands and thousands the nonprofit raked in and claimed it donated elsewhere.

For instance, in January 2022, Little Kings & Queens informed the general public it made a $9,150 donation to Journey Baggage, a corporation that provides displaced youngsters care baggage. Little Kings & Queens additionally says it gave $910 to the Gwinnett County Jail Canine Program and $1,425 to the Lawrenceville Group Meals Financial institution.

Different January donations made public embody $531 to the Lupus Basis of America, $547 to the All About Cats Rescue, $427 to My Sister’s Place, and $765 to Misplaced-N-Discovered Youth.
In complete, Little Kings & Queens’ public contributions complete roughly $13,000 in January 2022. No court docket date has been set for Maxwell to enter a plea.
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