Poker Defendant: NC Sheriffs Took Bribes

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Poker Defendant: NC Sheriffs Took Bribes
By MIKE BAKER
The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 8, 2007; 8:25 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A man charged with operating an illegal gambling business told investigators at least two county sheriffs accepted cash bribes to protect his enterprise, according to court papers.


James Otis Henderson, 42, was busted after he attempted to bribe the Rutherford County sheriff, who was working for federal investigators, with $10,000 in December, according to court papers filed Tuesday.

During a videotaped conversation, Henderson told Conner that other sheriffs in nearby counties were also taking bribes, according to a judge's order to detain Henderson pending trial. He said one sheriff wanted $100 per video poker machine per month for protection, while another sought monthly installments.


"The acts of the defendant show involvement in a widespread criminal conspiracy which has the potential to corrupt the criminal justice system in the Western District of North Carolina and this state," wrote U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Howell in his order.

Suellen Pierce, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Department of Justice in Charlotte, declined to comment Wednesday, saying the case remains under investigation.


Henderson and his brother, Barron Sloan Henderson, both of Lyman, S.C., operated Henderson Amusement Inc. and are charged with operating an illegal gambling business. James Henderson also is charged with bribing a law enforcement official.

North Carolina began to phase out video poker machines last year, and they became illegal July 1. When the machines were legal, operators could place a maximum of three machines at a single location, and the most a player could win was $10 in merchandise.

In an indictment unsealed last week, federal prosecutors allege the video poker ring earned $5 million in seven years and often paid out jackpots worth thousands of dollars.


James Henderson's attorney, Thomas Boggs, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Among those also indicted are two former Buncombe County sheriff's deputies, both charged with conspiracy in connection with the gambling operation.


A message left with their sheriff's office was not immediately returned.

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