Coffee County District Attorney General, Craig Northcott, has issued a statement regarding the alleged return of “Illegal poker machines” in the Coffee County area.
See his full statement here:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: ILLEGAL POKER MACHINES
When I first took office in 2014, I promised that I would not allow organized and
systemic illegal gambling operations to continue in Coffee County, especially as it
relates to poker machines. At the time, many convenience stores and other
businesses throughout the County had multiple machines operating and they,
along with the supplier of the machines, promoted gambling for their own financial
gain. This conduct was and still is a Class E felony in Tennessee. So long as it
remains such, I will not turn a blind eye to this criminal enterprise.
Within a few weeks of my election in 2014, my office with the help of our law
enforcement partners were able to rid the County of these machines. In recent
months, I have learned that the machines have returned. The operators falsely
claim that these machines are legal and will place signs on them to suggest that
they are not gambling machines. This is clearly not true under Tennessee law.
Please know that I am making efforts to find these machines, eliminate them from
the County, and prosecute those who are operating/supplying them.
Also know that using them is a crime.
I am reaching out to the community for your help in learning where these machines
are located. If you are aware of these poker machines being operated within
Coffee County, please contact Inv. Brandon Reed with my office to provide him with
this information. He can be reached at (931) 723-5055 or dbreed@tndagc.org.
I appreciate your assistance and look forward to eliminating this problem once
again.
Craig Northcott
District Attorney
