[brandy681]

I have a long story that I am desperate for advice on and I am hoping that you will read it all...






I have a question that I am desperate for help with. My husband was recently accused of taking money from his work. He works for a gas station and has been employed there for 3 years. Before that he worked at another gas station part time for about 10 years as he was also working in childcare... before the store was sold and was given great referances to his new job. My husband said that his boss called both employees in for a meeting, there is only two emplyees that work there besides the owner who works there himself. My husband who has been there 3 years and another employee just started about 2 months ago.



At the meeting the boss basically said that money was $4000 short!! My husband's boss who had no idea who was taking the money said that he was going to charge $2000 to both my husband and the other guy. Both my husband and the other guy said that they were not going to pay the money back because they work hard for their money and it is not fair, etc. Finally my husband's boss told him that he would charge just him the $4000 and my husband so NO and so his boss said that he was going to call the cops and my husband said that is fine to call the cops because he didn't do anything wrong and his boss said that someone has to pay for taking the money. He then grabbed the phone to call the cops but didn't do it, he put the phone back down and threatened my husband saying that they will come and put him in jail for 20 years and call the cops immediately unless he agrees to pay him the money back. My husband finally agreed to pay the money back because he was scared but he did NOT do this.



I have known my husband for 7 years and I know that he is not capable of taking a dime from anyone. My husband is a youth pastor for our church and I would stake my like that he did not take any money at all. That is how much I know my husband that he could not do this! His boss has trusted my husband so well, he has gave my husband 10,000 to take to the bank for him and has let my husband use his own personal car to go pick up stock from Sams Club and so many other things because he knows that my husband is trutworthy. For 3 years it was just my husband and his boss who would run the store and my husband worked 7 days a week and there was no other employees but recently he hired a new guy so that he could have time off. My husband thinks that it is the other guy that is taking the money but he is being blamed by his boss for some reason because he can. Or my husband sais that it may be because his boss thinks that he can use him to get money out of him or something because he knows that he will pay the money.



Also the owner of the store is an indian guy and my husband is american and the other employee is indian also and my husband said that his boss said that he hates american people (I guess he was mad) and so he said this. I sinced this the whole time my husband worked there because of his attitude towards a lot of things and the way that he looked at me. Plus the only reason that he hired my husband was because he didn't have anyone at all working at the time and was desperate plus he came with good referances. Everything was fine for 3 years and he hired a new guy and my husband told me a month ago that he sinced and had a feeling that since his boss hired a new guy that he may not want him to work anymore because the new guy is indian and he is not. His boss likes indian people better because he thinks that they work better are more honest, etc. My husband has been like a slave to this guy working 7 days a week and doing many favors for him also. He wants to accuse my husband because he is american and doesn't want to blame the other guy. I have wanted my husband to quit for a long time now just because of this guys attitude towards a lot of things. He would also call my husband in to work in the mornings, evening and throughout the day whenever he needed to go somewhere or make errons and my husband would always come in. It is funny how since the new guy started working that he is now making up excuses to fire my husband and to try and make him pay $4000 back.


The other guy basically refused to pay anything and I am sure that he is the one stealing but my husbands boss just wants his money back and I can understand that but why blame my husband to get what he wants. I have told my husband to not pay the money because it is ridiculous to pay money that he doesn't owe. I need advice because I don't know what to do about this. How can he have my husband arrested with 0 evidence? My husband said that there can NOT possibly be any evidence against him because he did not do anything wrong but my husband thinks that his boss can have him arrested any way because he is the boss and they can use his word. Is this true? I am scared and my husband is scared. My husband just wants to pay the money so that he will not have a criminal record.. My husband has no criminal history what so ever and has a clean record.



My husband is afraid that this will hurt his future because he has worked greatly in child care. He has worked for GA Baptist Children's Home as a Counselor, Social worker and many other places he has worked with children. I am so angry that this guy is trying to use my husband and I want to know if there is anything that he can do. I personally think that all he is doing is lying because he wants money. I don't know if I believe that money was stollen at all because he didn't even call the cops but I know in my heart that my husband would not do this and I would stake my entire life on it. What can the cops do because there is cameras in the store but there is no evidence on the camera at all of who took the money. The only evidence that his boss has is that his paperwork sais that from over a period of like a month money has been took a little at a time and to a period that =$4000. So that means that someone has took a couple hundred dollars at a time from about a month or so and his boss obviously knew this and still let both my husband and the other employee work and take money. There is a few things that his boss has said that have led me to believe that he is lying out of his mouth and I hate him so much for the pain that he is caused. I just want to know what is the best thing to do, I feel my husband shouldn't pay a dime to this horrible man but at the same time I am also scared that he will be arrested and will have a record. My husband is so honest and is like a gullable baby and I think that his boss really scared him in to agreeing to pay it back. I honestly feel that my husband is the type of person that doesn't speak up for himself. I don't know how to explain it to you but I hate to see anyone try and take advantage of him. We are both so upset about it so I am trying to get any opinions on this.

[Illusion]

It sounds like you are very upset over this whole thing - as I would be. Your husband's boss is very unreasonable - his whole premise that "someone" has to pay back the $4000 is absurd. If the money was stolen - and obviously it was - then he needs to file a complaint with the police. The police could then interview everyone. However, he has no proof of your husband taking the money. How would he prove it? Does he have fingerprints? Does he have a video? Did someone else see your husband and tell him? If so, who and when? What evidence does he have against your husband? He has no proof that your husband did anything wrong. He cannot be judge and jury here. He has scared your husband into submission by telling him he could get 20 years or even be arrested.

It is not this man's decision of who should get arrested and how or when or even to decide that a crime has been committed. The police make that determination. He is also not a Judge in a Court of law to decide that the punishment is 20 years. This guy sounds like a real bully.

It appears he knows your husband will not stand up for himself and is taking advantage of him. Your husband must find another job and move on. Do not wait. This is terribly abusive of this man to do this after your husband has been a good, dedicated employee. If he is going to accuse your husband of a crime, then he must provide proof. So far, he has made accusations only. Is it possible you can consult with an attorney at a Legal Aid office - just to ask advice on this situation? Would you be afraid to talk to the police and explain the situation, the threats this man is making? Would you be afraid to ask for advice on how you should handle this?

Basically what this man is doing is blackmailing your husband into paying back money he did not take. He is extorting money through fear. This is a crime. He cannot take the law into his own hands.

If he was robbed then why hasn't he called the police? Why hasn't he filed a police report? How is it possible that he wants his money back but has asked for no proper investigation? People who have been robbed have an urgent need to find out what happened, they don't just make accusations and demand that "someone" give them their money back.

Of course this is scary, this man is terrorizing your husband, his life, his future. Be of good heart, you need courage now. Your husband needs to get out of this job. It sounds like you have enough to defend yourself and that the law would be on your side.

I will pray for you and ask that all works out in your favor.

[brandy681]

I appreciate your advice... Today my boss called my husband back to work for him but I don't know what my husband is going to do and what games this guy is playing. My husband said that he thought that he may do this. He called this morning and said that he wants him to come back to work and that he will charge my husband all of his pay check $500-$600 until it is paid off in two months. I told my husband to not dare pay him back or come back to work! I heard them discussing it on the phone and my husband said that he is very irrisponsible in keeping up with money and my husband said that his boss told him that he would look in to the money situation and his paperwork to see if there is a mistake. My husband thinks that his boss is also mad because someone recently won a lot of money on the machiene the other day, his boss pays out money on the machines which is suppose to be illegal here in GA now but a lot of gas stations don't care and pay out cash anyway and someone won $3,000 on a machiene, right before that someone rigged the machiene and stole money also and his boss is very upset about it. My husband wasn't on the job when that happened though or he would have to pay that also even though it wasn't his fault that someone rigged the machiene to win and I don't even know how this was done. This is how I know that he is a mean person!. My husband is honest, there has been times on rare occasion where people have run off with gas while my husband was on the job and my husband pays the money out of his on pocket but if he didn't his boss would make him pay it back anyway I am sure of it. I am thinking that his boss is angry because he recently lost money on the machines and is trying to take it ot on my husband and I am so angry at him and now especcially that he wants my husband to come back and work to use him.

[Fr_Chuck]

There is not proff, the police can not arrest him without some proof, your husband needs to leave there and go to work somewhere else. Also if he stays and the owner tries not to pay him, he needs to sue them for his pay, and report them to the dept of labor. They can not legally just take his pay.

And he needs to report the machine to the authorities, since he is helping with illegal gambling by working there and paying out when someone wins anything. ( not a good witness for anyone in church work)

Your husbands boss is a crook, obvioius from the gambling machines and the threats of his workers, he just needs to move on to somewhere else to work.

[Illusion]

I agree he needs to sue this man for his pay if he should this. Also, this man needs to be reported to the Better Business Bureau and the Labor Commission. There are State laws protecting employees from this type of harassment.

It is just abusive what this guy is doing.

[RubyPitbull]

I am thinking that his boss is angry because he recently lost money on the machines and is trying to take it ot on my husband and I am so angry at him and now especcially that he wants my husband to come back and work to use him.

Brandy, in case you need a third voice on this, I am chiming in. The above quote from you is very important.

All of a sudden, after 3 years "boss" is accusing your husband of stealing? AND, he never went to the police to report the missing money? Do everything you can to dissuade your husband from agreeing to go back to work for him and paying him a penny. I believe that he is looking to your husband to replace money that he himself took from the business. He needs to balance his books now and is looking for an escapegoat. Tell your husband, please, walk away from this NOW. If he doesn't, he will be working for free for quite a while. It will also show the bossman that he can push your husband around, and will keep intimidating him. I wouldn't be surprised if at the end of how ever many months that it will take to pay this absurd request off, that more money will come up missing or he will attempt to convince your husband that he is wrong about how much he has paid back and still owes him.

What the boss is doing is illegal and is akin to creating an indentured servant situation. You husband needs to know that the boss cannot do ANYTHING to him. Those are empty threats. The police will not look too kindly on a man that never reported money missing. The longer he waits to report it, the more he will not be believed. When something like this occurs, honest people go to the police and file a report. They don't intimidate, harass, and threaten employees. That man needs to be stopped in his tracks. It would be very wise to follow the advice of both posters above. Your husband should be filing a lawsuit against this man with the help of your State's Attorney General's office and/or Department of Labor. Your husband won't have to pay for the legal advice. Your husband is owed for whatever work he performed. Tell him to call one of these offices NOW and get advice on how to proceed.

[excon]

I just want to know what is the best thing to do, I feel my husband shouldn't pay a dime to this horrible man but at the same time I am also scared that he will be arrested and will have a record.

Hello brandy:

No, I didn't read it all, because most of it is story, and I don't need the story. I did see several times your mention that your husband wants to lie down for this guy because he doesn't want a record.

Huh??

Uhhhhhh, in this world you GET records when you lie down. You don't AVOID them. Read that again!!

I understand some people being meek. I don't understand lying down so you can be trampled - I just don't.

The reason I didn't need the story is because the advice is so simple: He needs to quit his job and hire a lawyer. That's ALL - NOTHING ELSE!

excon

[brandy681]

Thanks for all the advice. Today his boss called and basically tried to bargain with him to come back to work and said that he would still pay him $100 a week and then take all the rest out of his pay, which would take about 3 months or a little longer to pay off. That is totally crazy because my husband works 70 hrs a week and is the hardest worker there. There is one other guy that works there part time and the boss himself also works some too.


I told my husband the same thing that I reviewer said. I told him that if he continued to work for this guy and pay him off then afterwards more money would become missing and he would keep owing the guy. This is crazy, but true! The guy that owns the store is only like 28 years old and is younger than my husband and he owns the gas station and there is a chicken run located next door/ connectd to the store that he partially owns but he doesn't manage money there and also a brand NEW game room next door that he partially owns and it is a game room that has poker tables and slot machienes... But again he doesn't manage the money from there either but I think he gets a percentage of profits.


Since my husband is the main worker at the gas station, he is using him so that he doesn't have to pay anyone.. accept one other employee but again he only works part time. Like I said the owner is 28 and has owned the store since he was 24 and he is rich, owns several almost new cars and a home, etc and for a 24 year old indian man I guess he gets rich off using people and illegal gambling.


I have only saw his boss twice and he is mean, his attitude is horrible. I remember the first time I walked into the store and my husband introduced me and I said hi nice to meet you, he didn't say anything at ALL and always has a "mad" face constantly and my husband even sais that he don't ever smile. My husband told me that customers complain to him about the boss's mean and snobby attitude.. My husband on the other hand is totally opposite of this and is very friendly to everyone.


He also has nothing to do with the gambling or the NEW game room next door but of course he knows what is going on. I think my husband should get him in trouble for that if he tries to extort money from my husband! I keep telling this to my husband but all he sais is that he will be punnished and that God will punish him eventually for what he is doing. I tell him the same thing over and over and he sais the same thing, that he will be punnished and for me not to worry but at the same time he is worrying. I really feel bad for him because I am more angry than anything and I have to watch him worry about this. He is a good person and don't deseerve this, I hate the guy for this and for his whole stuck up attitude. I am trying to look in to a lawyer because my husband is doing nothing about it but just ignoring the situation.. I am basically trying to see what a lawyer will say because we don't have the money to hire one.



I honestly don't know how someone with so much money that is doing well in the business can be so greedy and evil... There would be days that my husband would come home and tell me how busy it was at the store and he would tell me how the boss would always complain about money issues and customers, etc. How can someone that has so much money complain so much and try and steal money. He is never happy + he has so much money so why would he try and steal it from my husband who works hard for his money. If you met the guy you would not believe that there are people in the world like him! I hope that we never have to see him or deal with him again.. I still do not know what my husband is going to do about this and he hasn't told me anything else. He doesn't know that I wrote this blog but I do appreciate everyone's opinion on this. Thanks

[LadyB]

Are equivalent paying jobs scarce in your area? Why would he continue to work for a crook and a liar and an illegal gambling hall owner... or even consider for one minute paying back money he didn't take and may not even be missing?

He needs to quit, and get another job, and call the state labor board and Attorney General about the multitude of crimes you have described here... extortion, defamation, gambling. Anything else is collusion.

[mr.yet]

Call the Labor Commission in your state, file a formal complaint, speak to an attorney today.

If a crime has been committed, than the owner should file charges, It sound like he has no proof.

[excon]

Hello brandy:

This thread is soooo unsatisfying...

You: bad things are happening...

Us: OK, do this, do that, go here, go there, see him, talk to them...

You: yup, bad things are happening...

Us: all right then, go do this and go do that..

You: thanks, but really, bad things are happening...

Us: OK, do this, and try that...

It's time for you to tell us how bad it is again... But, I'm losing interest if you're not going to DO anything except complain...

excon

[brandy681]

I am calling a lawyer today and will let you know the advice that I get, if it is any good.. I am actually a little afraid to try to get him into too much trouble myself because he has money and he is a really mean and angry person when he has nothing to be mad about so think what he will be like when he gets really mad. I don't want him to try and harm me in any way because he is obviously psycho. I definitely will advice my husband to contact the attorney general about this.. You have to understand that my husband hates this guy and does not want to work for him but he feels threatened and feels like he has no choice at all. I am mad at him, I am really mad at my husband and if he pays the money back I will be furious but he makes his on decisions and he never listens to anything that I say so I can't convince him otherwise.


I asked him why he would even consider working for a crook also and I am still angry but I guess you have to understand the situation that he is in. He has already been asked by his former boss about a month ago to come back and work for him and his boss got mad about it and complained. My husband is not law educated and believes anything that he hears basically. I would say that he is a little slow not really, he is very smart and graduated college but he is a little slow/gullable to what people tell him.. I don't know the term for it but he really will believe anything and we get in to arguments about this sometimes ( I want to eventually be able to show him this forum so that he can take your advice and listen to what other people have to say so please do not say that I am complaining) . I will give you an example of why my husband is gullable... we knew this lady who was a compulsive liar and everyone knew that she had a problem lying but he believed a lot of things that she said because he is gullable like that and his boss knows how gullable he is threatining 20 years in jail... Yea right, 20 years!! And thinks that he will believe him. I want him to finally stand up to someone and say to his boss to forget you!! I would love that!! Right now I don't know what he is going to do.. He doesn't want to go to jail and get a record over this and we have never been in a situation like this. So I am basically confused as to what to do. I know that his boss does not have proof but is his word good enough to throw him in jail. Either way I don't think that he will pay his boss the money or go back to work for him but I am just looking at all angles because I Don't want him to fall for his scam and I feel bad for him. I am not trying to complain but I am confused because I have never been in a situation like this and I don't want to give my husband bad advice to get him into trouble so I am looking at all advice. Thank you everyone for your continued great advice.

[excon]

so I am basically confused as to what to do.

Hello again, brandy:

If you get anything from this thread, get this: Confused is what you might have been BEFORE your post. You have been given the best information there is. Therefore, your confusion has been clarified. Unless of course, you don't believe anything we've said.

So, if you don't act, it's not because you're confused. It's because you won't!

You've got a husband who is heading down the drain, and you refuse to do anything to help except type on a website...

excon

[LadyB]

No, his word is not good enough to throw someone in jail. There must be evidence, enough to convince the police that a crime has even been committed, for him to even get arrested, and then that evidence must be presented in court and convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that your husband did it.

Gullible isn't even the word for it. Your husband is being a sucker.

ETA: Fr. Chuck is right. The longer your husband stays there, and says nothing, the more guilty HE looks. Because what honest person would take that kind of abuse, and continue working for a known crook? It's a gas station job, shouldn't be that hard to find a similar job and if the guy is running an illegal casino someone needs to blow the whistle. The good thing is that his bookkeeping will be suspect because of the gaming. As I said before, it looks like your husband is colluding right now, he needs to be proactive, he needs to contact the authorities, today!

[Fr_Chuck]

I think excon will agree, in the perfect world the bosses word should not be enough, but in the real world, of course people with little money and a public defender get put in jail for less. 1. he had access to the money
2. he has access most likely to the machine, 3, he had the opportunity, and the ability, 4. his actions of working for a crook even after he knows he is a crook ?

I arrested and saw convicted a lot of people on far less evidence in my years as a police officer.

Next if your husband continues with what he is doing working for this man, he will end up in trouble, period, He should have walked out the first day, go to work at McDonalds, it does ot matter, you don't work for crooks without getting your own hands dirty a little.

When and if the gamming people come in one day, and do a cash pay off the machine, if it is your hubby that pays the money, guess who goes to jail, the owner will deny knowying he was doing this most likely.

So your husband does not want any trouble, OK, just pay back the money he does not owe, and wait a month or two for the boss to do it again.

[brandy681]

Hi excon, I am the one who is helping and while my husband sits on his butt and ignores the whole situation completely. I have already done a few things to help my husband but I didn't feel the need to mention it because I am listining to all the advice that I can get and yes I feel that I have gotten about as much adivice as I can on this site and I am following through with it and I do appreciate everyone's advice. There is a lot that is up to my husband to decide upon and he will have to make that decision on his own because he will be mad If I got too far with this and get too involved in his mess. I am the one trying my hardest to tell him not to pay back the money and to get OUT but like I said he hasn't really told me much about it or given an answer. There is no convincing my husband, he does not listen to me but he does what he wants to. My husband listens to his mom very well but not so much me. I am planning on telling her this tomorrow.. She is a highly repuatable christian lady and she will be VERY shocked when she hears this but my husband WILL listen to her. He will hate that I am going to tell her and will probably be very angry with me but I feel that I have to and I will feel better when I do. My husband is no kid but he does listen to his momma!

[LadyB]

Which is better for you? That your husband is angry or that your husband becomes embroiled in a legal mess, and possibly be a patsy left holding the bag, because he can no longer claim ignorance of illegal activities? You need to grow a spine, since your husband doesn't seem inclined to do the correct or smart thing here.

[brandy681]

Actually Chuck.. my husband didn't know that he was a crook, until he accused him of taking money. After that, he was fired and has not been back. Although his boss is begging him back he has not came back as of now. My husband knew that he allowed illegal gambling, which many gas stations in GA do anyway and my husband also knew that he was a mean/strict person but he had no idea that he was that type of person to do what he did. Now on the other hand when I met his boss I thought he was really weird and had a bad feeling about him. I do agree with you LadyB because his mom has good authority and he listens to her, I am sure if I threatened my husband for a seperation/divorce more often that he would listen to me but I don't and so he knows that he doesn't have to listen to me and can basically do what he wants to.

[LadyB]

I don't think you appreciate the seriousness of the illegal gaming in his establishment. You're in Georgia right?

http://www.lexis-nexis.com/hottopics/gacode/default.asp

Georgia Code § 16-12-22. Commercial gambling

b) A person who commits the offense of commercial gambling shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years or by a fine not to exceed $20,000.00, or both.

And threats of divorce shouldn't be needed to be authoritative in a good marriage. My husband listens to me because he respects me, and vice versa.

[brandy681]

I don't support gambling at all and I said NOTHING to support gambling or about the seriousness of gambling... But working in many gas stations myself over many years, I know for a fact that police really don't investigate gambling as much as other things such as selling alcohol and cigarettes to minors, etc. etc. They should but they don't! I DO know of some places that have been made to take the machines out of there work place after being caught but I am not sure about the fines.



I have worked in the gas station business for so many years and since the machienes were made illegal by Govenor Roy Barnes several years ago it was only months after the law was passed that people EVERYWHERE brought the machienes back in... I was working at a gas station at the time and it was on the news how people were complaining about the new law and how businesses were doing it illigally anyway because they were all losing money, the news said this and I figured within a few months people would be removing them again.



Kim who I was working for at the time as well as many other gas stations were sent letters giving them so many weeks to have the machienes removed.. They were removed but 4-6 months later they were brought back and now they have not been removed and are everywhere and here to stay. Finally after all of the millions of gamblers and store owners complaining, I guess that is why they were brought back. Under the circumstance that the machienes are to be made for FUN only and store credit given out (NO cash) or any gambling purpose. I could believe this but it did not work this way, because now they all pay cash but the law does nothing from what I have witnessed.



No one seemed to care and I was upset about it even though I worked at a gas station and no one seemed to care so I realized that nothing was going to be done to stop it because 90% of gas stations is doing it. I have actually seen many that have signs posted up that sais "store credit only" but they don't follow that at all. No one would play the machienes if they only got store credit, especially spending that much money.. I know a lady that owns one store in particaular among several other stores and she makes hundreds, or thoudands a day.. Some are from regular customers that are willing to throw away thousands of dollars on the machienes and some people are newbies. Either way I don't support it but I am letting you know how it works. She has owned several illegal machienes since they have been brought out YRS ago and has not been caught.



I have wondered why and I know it is because police do not worry about gambling as much as they do other things and plus she will not pay out to people that she does not know or trust but still makes thousands every week as a 30% profit from the machiene CO. She sais that people really don't investigate it at all and since she hasn't been caught = I believe her and witnesses it. Although there are businesses that only deal in the machienes which is NOT a gas station but a machiene business (GAME ROOM) and they get caught more often because it is obvious what they are doing and it is an illegal business. We also had a poker house down the street, I believe the name was Party Poker but I am not sure and they were raded 3 years after it was opened for illegal gambling, it took 3 years and police knew what they were doing and I talked to a police about it.



This takes time to catch these places and to get them closed! Imagine a gas station! I do know that gas stations do get caught once in a blue moon but it is not often at all because police don't investigate gas stations much. One place got caught that I know of and they had to remove all of the machienes, 6 months later they were back in business. NO ONE, I repeat NO ONE has said more about this than me. I have asked police about the gambling and no one really cares and so I have stopped taking anything as serious like I used to. You have to work at a gas station to understand or you won't understand how they don't do anything. It is so so so much easier to get caught for selling beer to minors than it is for gambling in gas stations because they just do not investigate it that much and it is the truth.



I am laying down facts, this is not based on what I agree with but what I have EXPERIENCED. When I was hired for my last job I was told very often to check id for beer and cigarettes because they send undercover cops in with minors who look older than they are and they get you. If you are caught they will take your picture and make you appear in court. I think the fine for selling beer to minors the first time is $500-1000 but I forget but there will be no jail time, the second time the fine goes up.



This has never happened to me but it did happen to a co worker.. This co worker was a women age 70 years old and she ALWAYS checks every young persons id because I know her and she is strict but this guy looked like he was 35 or older and she did not check it and got caught. They are super strict with this and I think many gas stations have been caught doing this at least once because they set people up with people that are right under the age limit by a few months and do this. They set these stings up maybe once every few years and not often though!!



I have learned a lot working in the gas station business and so if you have never worked for several of them then you really can't so that you know anything, can you? I do not agree with gambling but it is too strong to stop it and knowone seems to care enough to do anything. I can guarantee that they would receive NO jail time, I just know this for a fact.. NOT a gas station but yes if it is a illegal poker room, game room, etc they can get a small amt of jail time and large fines. The reason that I know this is because I do know about 2 gas stations who have been caught and have had to pay rather large fines but received no jail time and they had the machienes suspened for about 6 months. They didn't care about the measley fines, not when they are making thousands of dollars a week. They made more money in a week than the fine was and some of these people are indian and they are cheap. They would not just give there money away.



On the street that I live on, I used to work for one gas station (BP) I never paid out cash at that store for machienes the boss was only allowed to... and we had many regular customers and I see them playing the machines at several places that I go because we have 5 gas stations on my road and I see them gambling at most or all of them because they will sit for hrs and play and I walk in and see them.. I know that they have a gambling problem and I do feel horrible for them, I know many that go to Biluxu several times a year as well to gamble. A few of them told me personally that if the machienes were not available that they would find other means of gambling such as scratch off tickets and MANY Biluxi trips. I know these people because they basically lived at the store(s) gambling and some would bring lunch there. I became to know many of the customers and talk to them about there family, etc when they do come in the store. Anyway I know how serious that I feel gambling is but many other people don't seem to care. You have to know what I know to understand.