Miami News-Record
Tuesday, May 14, 1996
Sheriff expects indictment on gambling
By The Associated Press
Ottawa County Sheriff Ed Walker says he suspect politics is playing a role in his impending federal indictment on racketeering charges.
“It seems funny they saved this until right before election time, so there’s probably no way I can clear my name and run for another term. Why would I want to run again anyway? If they want me out this bad, maybe it’s time to get out,” Walker told the Joplin Globe for a story in today’s editions.
The sheriff also told the newspaper he won’t willingly step down.
“I’m not accepting any plea bargain, and I will not resign until I’m forced to. I’ll fight this legally all the way and try to see it through,” Walker said.
The sheriff said he was told the federal indictment might come down as early as today.
He said he has been given a court-appointed attorney through the federal court system.
“When I found out that I was being named in this, they let you have an attorney at that time,” Walker said, “I got one about the end of February or early March.”
The sheriff said he has been investigated by the grand jury, which has looked into illegal gambling in northeast Oklahoma since November. Fifteen people have been indicted, including 13 owners of clubs where illegal video gambling machines allegedly were found by Internal Revenue Service agents.
Walker said the grand jury investigation has linked him to alleged payoffs from club owners for allowing the machines to be operated with impunity, and from vendors whose machines he allegedly told bar owners to use.
“The machines were in those clubs before I came into office, and had been for a long time,” he said. “Somebody’s decided to push this thing for some reason. I think it’s a political deal to get me out of office and keep me from running for another term.”
Walker was elected sheriff in 1992, and his term expires this year.
District Attorney Ben Loring previously has said he asked Walker to investigate complaints about illegal gambling machines. Walker said he did not find sufficient evidence of gambling in the clubs.
“I personally investigated one club, up by the Indian bingo hall at West Seneca,” Walker said, “But in two nights I could only see a few people going in there, and didn’t have anyone to send in undercover.
“On another occasion, Dewayne Corbit (district attorney’s investigator) and I sent an undercover man into three or four clubs in Commerce. The only payoff he got was when he told the bar owner he didn’t have time to stay and play off his credits he’d won. I think he got a few dollars refund.”
Corbit confirmed that information Monday, saying this undercover operative was paid $5 on that occasion.
Walker said he was not asked by the district attorney’s office to pursue the investigation further.
“They had the DA’s task force available, and they’ve used them on everything from drugs to kids buying beer underage,” he said. “They had the manpower to look into these complaints. I didn’t.”
Loring declined to comment Monday on the investigation.
At Tulsa, U.S. Attorney Steve Lewis told the Globe his office would have “no comment” on any ongoing investigation.”
Loring has said that after learning the alleged illegal gambling at the “Blue House” at West Seneca involved a possible interstate connection he turned the investigation over to the U.S. attorney’s office at Tulsa.
On Sept. 14, federal agents raided the Eastern Shawnee tribal complex at West Seneca, seizing 55 video pull-tab machines. They also raided 17 clubs, convenience stores and restaurants in Ottawa County, seizing video poker and other gambling machines.
The grand jury indictments have said IRS undercover agents received cash payoffs from the club owners for credits won on the machines in violation of federal gambling statutes.
Also raided were a few clubs in neighboring Delaware and Mayes counties, and in southeast Kansas.
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