And with COVID cases rising, police are cracking down on social events. Over the weekend, they busted two gambling houses, charging several people in the process, not only for gambling illegally, but for hosting and attending private events. ACP Myvett explained that the police had been observing the gambling houses for weeks before making their move.
ACP Joseph Myvett
"On Friday evening, around six p.m., after about a month of surveillance being conducted because of activities being carried out at the home of Lester Levy on Nursey Street, Belize City, an operation was carried out where a number of ten other persons were found there gambling and as a result, those persons have been charged under the Gambling Act as well as Mr. Lester has been charged for hosting an illegal gathering. We do expect though that as the investigation progresses, there may be other charges levied against him. Also, there was a simultaneous operation carried out on Freetown Road at another gambling house which was being operated by one Earlin Neal where a number of persons were also found and have also been arrested and charged in relation to that."
Reporter
"Is this a recurrent thing that is happening that these gambling houses are popping up all over?"
ACP Joseph Myvett
'Yes, we do believe so and we continue to urge those persons to take seriously the regulations in respect to the health issues and those things are discouraged but however seemingly a number of persons are not adhering; hence the reason we are carrying out these operations."
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir when you say they are gambling house, what exactly are they doing, what kind of games are they playing?"
ACP Joseph Myvett
There were cards, dominoes and other games that were being played by those persons. 2:05
In the first incident, 55-year-old Lester Levy was charged for using a place as a common gaming house and hosting a private gathering which includes persons from out of the immediate household. His guests: 54-year-old Errol Flowers, 20-year-old Kyra Parham, 27-year-old Shanice Valerio, 40-year-old Marlon Smith, 38-year-old Jeffery Usher, 54-year-old Edwardo Saldano, 29-year-old Jermaine Tillett, 40-year-old Marlon Westby, 37-year-old Jermie Zuniga, and 44-year-old Charlton Roches were all charged with attending a gathering of more then ten persons who are not from the same household as well as found in a common gaming house.
