Investigators in Sacramento County have dismantled a sprawling illegal gambling ring that operated for years, uncovering cash, drugs, and guns inside illegal casinos in local neighborhoods, officials said Thursday. “Obviously removing these from the neighborhoods, makes each of these neighborhoods safer,” said Sgt. Edward Igoe, of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. “Some of these locations were getting upwards of 50 individuals a day visiting. This isn’t some small mom-and-pop card room. These are very intricate, elaborate casinos that they’ve built.”The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office released video footage showing video gambling machines and clips of investigators’ operation on social media. Igoe identified Theaplus Osborne, 47, as the leader of the gambling network.“He led quite a lavish lifestyle,” Igoe said.Additional individuals including Dana Green, James Frazier, Herman Hawkins and Thurston Bershell were also identified as suspects.Igoe said the lengthy investigation began in April 2025 after deputies stumbled into one of the at-home casinos while chasing a wanted suspect in South Sacramento, finding gambling machines and patrons inside. A shooting investigation several weeks later, he said, in Carmichael revealed a similar scene, sparking a broader investigation. Officials said eight makeshift casinos were identified in Sacramento County. While the exact addresses were not shared, Igoe said they were in residential areas and at least two were near schools. “One of the interesting things about this was the criminal sophistication behind it,” Igoe said. “These individuals were doing counter surveillance on our deputies, our detectives while they were trying to do surveillance on each of these locations.”Officials said the casinos ran seven days a week, making between $500-$1,000 a day that was then laundered through a fake company and multiple bank accounts. Detectives said the organization laundered more than $1.4 million between January 2024 and July 2025.During the operation, investigators seized firearms, $100,000 in cash, drugs, gambling machines and computers. The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office reported that Osborne pled not guilty to numerous charges during an arraignment on Monday and was released on bond. He is scheduled to return to court on March 5.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Investigators in Sacramento County have dismantled a sprawling illegal gambling ring that operated for years, uncovering cash, drugs, and guns inside illegal casinos in local neighborhoods, officials said Thursday.
“Obviously removing these from the neighborhoods, makes each of these neighborhoods safer,” said Sgt. Edward Igoe, of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. “Some of these locations were getting upwards of 50 individuals a day visiting. This isn’t some small mom-and-pop card room. These are very intricate, elaborate casinos that they’ve built.”
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office released video footage showing video gambling machines and clips of investigators’ operation on social media. Igoe identified Theaplus Osborne, 47, as the leader of the gambling network.
“He led quite a lavish lifestyle,” Igoe said.
Additional individuals including Dana Green, James Frazier, Herman Hawkins and Thurston Bershell were also identified as suspects.
Igoe said the lengthy investigation began in April 2025 after deputies stumbled into one of the at-home casinos while chasing a wanted suspect in South Sacramento, finding gambling machines and patrons inside. A shooting investigation several weeks later, he said, in Carmichael revealed a similar scene, sparking a broader investigation.
Officials said eight makeshift casinos were identified in Sacramento County. While the exact addresses were not shared, Igoe said they were in residential areas and at least two were near schools.
“One of the interesting things about this was the criminal sophistication behind it,” Igoe said. “These individuals were doing counter surveillance on our deputies, our detectives while they were trying to do surveillance on each of these locations.”
Officials said the casinos ran seven days a week, making between $500-$1,000 a day that was then laundered through a fake company and multiple bank accounts. Detectives said the organization laundered more than $1.4 million between January 2024 and July 2025.
During the operation, investigators seized firearms, $100,000 in cash, drugs, gambling machines and computers.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office reported that Osborne pled not guilty to numerous charges during an arraignment on Monday and was released on bond.
He is scheduled to return to court on March 5.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel