Authorities are grappling with an incessant recurrent problem in Wichita- trying to get rid of a local a coin-operated laundromat. The city authorities have filed a court case to padlock the premise that is associated with illegal gambling activities.
Many gambling facilities in Wichita operate illegally apart from those that are state-owned or are owned by the Native Tribes and authorized by the state.
The authorities have in the recent past, made a crackdown on illegal gambling entities within Wichita. The swoops carried out by the authority’s aims at riding the city of illegal gambling dens and reducing crimes and illicit activities related to gambling. The raids on unlawful gambling facilities have drawn the attention of the FBI. The police swoops have seen the indictment of some law enforcement officers and prominent business people in Wichita.
Recurrent occurrence
The gambling facility is at the Fabric Care Center, 2910, E. Harry. The laundromat is conveniently sandwiched between dinner and apartments on Harry, west of George Washington Boulevard. The location makes it convenient enough to be accessed by an extensive portfolio of clientele. A Kansas corporation called Cooper Inc. owns the joint. The police report to have raided the facility on numerous occasions from as early as 2016.
During the raids, the authorities report, the police confiscated a staggering 34 gambling machines. Although the police have made numerous raids and the seizure of gambling machines, the facility has remained operational. The police also noted that after every swoop, it appears that the owners replaced the machines, notoriety that is proving to be a challenge to the authorities.
The authorities lamented during their application for a temporary injunction that the ongoing gambling activities were becoming a significant problem in the city. In their submission, the authorities reported that gambling is becoming a common nuisance subjecting the community to irreparable injury.
As the authorities battle in court to padlock the laundromat for an extended period, it remained open and operational on Monday.
The illegal cache of weaponry
The gambling facility and its activities related to increased crime within the locale of Wichita. During their court submissions, the authorities revealed they seized a cache of illegal weapons during the raids at the center. Some of the guns confiscated at the facility include two simple assaults, five weapon cases, 12 drug cases, and three larcenies found at the site over 14 months.
The facility was also related to one homicide, five aggravated assaults, and one rape case logged. Such reports paint a grim picture of the illegal activities happening at the laundromat.
The police also reported that a resident called the police department complaining about a family member hooked to gambling at the facility. The gambling facility does not advertise for gambling addiction, a condition required for in law by state-owned casinos.
Court proceedings
The glaring reports presented in court by the authorities indicate that the police are not taking any chances in closing down the facility. The authorities are determined and say that padlocking the facility is the only assurance to prevent future gambling activities at the location.
During the court proceedings, reports indicate that the city wants the court to declare the property a public nuisance. The city authorities also want the facility shut down for a period ranging between three months to two years. It is the prayer of the city authorities that the court bars the owners of the facility from undertaking gambling-related activities in the future, reports indicate.
A Sedgwick County judge is set to consider the city’s request to padlock the facility that has become a constant headache to the authorities.
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