It worked like a charm. Video-poker-machine owners slipped the gambling devices across the South Carolina state line and into the backrooms of small restaurants and country convenience stores across Western North Carolina. The money rolled in—as much as $30,000 per machine per year—and players were lured by the prospect of winning cash, rather than the […]
Tag: Medford trial
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Medford sentenced to 15 years in prison
A federal judge sentenced former Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Medford to 15 years in prison on corruption and extortion charges on Oct. 6. The sentence came after a day of objections (97 in all) from defense attorney Stephen Lindsay. Judge Thomas Ellis overruled many of the objections and said that he believed Lindsay was re-arguing […]
Shepherd and Davis plea agreements
In March 2008, Ronnie Eugene “Butch” Davis and Jack Willis “Jackie” Shepherd entered plea agreements in federal court and explained their involvement in an illegal gambling operation. The pleas are the latest in the federal government’s wide-ranging investigation into illegal gambling involving video-poker machines in Western North Carolina, a case that has netted video-poker-machine owners […]