Holiness Pastor Baffled As Sheriff Raids Church, Finds Gambling Den

[Jerome]

Church of God in Christ pastor in Houston didn't know of the wickedness going on in the secret room:

Hidden room in church building had 100+ gambling machines.

"HCSO deputies and HCFMO investigators responded to the World OF Life Church at 403 Turney dr. A room containing gambling machines was discovered in the back. At this point deputies are interviewing subjects detained."

"Pastor Scott posted a 15 minute video to the World of Life COGIC facebook page. In the video Pastor Scott gave a tour of the facility where there were electronically locked doors he said he never had access to."

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Church of God in Christ pastor in Houston didn't know of the wickedness going on in the secret room:

Hidden room in church building had 100+ gambling machines.

"HCSO deputies and HCFMO investigators responded to the World OF Life Church at 403 Turney dr. A room containing gambling machines was discovered in the back. At this point deputies are interviewing subjects detained."

"Pastor Scott posted a 15 minute video to the World of Life COGIC facebook page. In the video Pastor Scott gave a tour of the facility where there were electronically locked doors he said he never had access to."

Also from the article:

Pastor Anthony Scott told ABC13 the church shares the building with another business. One side of the building is the Word of Life Church, and the other side is its own separate entity.

Scott said that he and his church couldn't afford the entire building, so the landlord put a wall that separates the church from the other side of the building.

He also says he has no idea who the manager of the other side is and has little to no information about the business they run.​

 

[HankD]

Bingo machinery - RCC?

 

[church mouse guy]

All bets are off.

 

[Jerome]

Is this a thing now? Churches being used as fronts for illegal gambling operations? Another church in the news for this three states away, in Alabama:

Illegal casino bust at nondenominational 'Life's Church'

"Decatur police broke up what they refer to as an illegal gambling “casino" Friday afternoon....Investigators said they found a large gambling machine operation inside of the church. They said there were also video surveillance and bells to warn of police presence, which is in violation of state law. Seventeen electronic gambling machines, the video system, the warning system, equipment that tracked the progress of the gambling machines, and other items were seized by law enforcement."

 

[RighteousnessTemperance&]

Is this a thing now? Churches being used as fronts for illegal gambling operations? Another church in the news for this three states away, in Alabama:

Illegal casino bust at nondenominational 'Life's Church'

"Decatur police broke up what they refer to as an illegal gambling “casino" Friday afternoon....Investigators said they found a large gambling machine operation inside of the church. They said there were also video surveillance and bells to warn of police presence, which is in violation of state law. Seventeen electronic gambling machines, the video system, the warning system, equipment that tracked the progress of the gambling machines, and other items were seized by law enforcement."

Well, at least it was non-denominational.

If they had broadcast it, could it have been legal as televangelism?