Jones County Sheriff’s Office investigating possible illegal gambling operations

GRAY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Jones County Sheriff’s Office is investigating four convenience stores for possible illegal gambling operations.

Major Earl Humphries said the investigation started about five months ago. The sheriff’s office received complaints from people getting into financial hardships after losing all their money in these stores. Major Humphries explained convenience store gaming machines are under the authority of the Georgia Lottery Corporation and under Georgia Law you can’t pay out in cash. 

The Jones County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants Monday on four stores. These stores were searched because they were paying out in cash, according to Major Humphries. The stores under investigation are K&A Convenience in Haddock; Marathon Convenience on Clinton and High View Streets in Gray; Chevron Food Mart on Gray Highway and Joycliff Road in the southern part of Jones County in Macon; and Creekside Gas on Gray Highway in between Macon and Gray.

Major Humprhies said the sheriff’s office didn’t take the machines, but the Georgia Lottery Corporation disabled them. The sheriff’s office is reviewing evidence and will be filing criminal charges on several people by the end of the week. Major Humprhies expects the charges to range from commercial gambling to gambling and illegal use of electronic gambling machines.