Constable raids South Houston game room, arrests owner and workers

Seven people accused of running an illegal game room in the city of South Houston are facing serious charges after a years-long investigation by the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office.

Undercover deputies with the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office executed search and arrest warrants at the illicit business in the 1500 block of College Ave., just east of the Gulf Freeway, Tuesday morning. Video shared by the constable’s office from inside the business shows deputies cutting locks off gaming machines as they worked.

Those seven people connected to the game room, which includes the owner and game operators, are facing first-degree felony money laundering charges, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said. The game room was bringing in up to $100,000 a day in ill-gotten gains, according to Rosen.

The investigation took years of work and four previous raids at the game room.

“This is a game room that steals from people on fixed incomes,” Rosen said. “There’s crime that happens in and around these places. They clearly didn’t get the message that after hitting them four times, we mean business.”

Rosen said in one case, a customer was so desperate that they sold their $600 LoneStar Card for $300 in cash.

Inside the business Tuesday, undercover agents with the constable’s office pulled more than 200 8-liner machines from the business in a massive seizure..