The owners of a Riverdale bingo parlor say the city's police chief has tried to bully them into quietly closing their business by threatening to raid their club and throw employees in jail.

Now the owners are fighting back with a federal lawsuit against the city, claiming their rights to due process were violated when city officials, including Riverdale Police Chief David Hansen, pulled the business license for Riverdale Dinner and Bingo without giving the owners a chance to have a hearing before the Riverdale City Council, as required by city ordinance.

Blue Sky Entertainment, which owns Riverdale Dinner and Bingo, claims in its lawsuit filed earlier this month, that Hansen told the club's manager, Frank Diana, that he was going to revoke the club's business license because he believed the establishment was engaged in gambling.

"Chief Hansen threatened that if Riverdale Dinner and Bingo made any trouble about being closed down, he would obtain a search warrant for the premises, seize all of the equipment and arrest Diana and the entire staff and take them to jail," the lawsuit said. "Chief Hansen suggested that if Riverdale Dinner and Bingo went away quietly, he could probably see that any criminal charges would also go away."

Comments regarding the lawsuit were directed to Riverdale City's attorney, Steve Brooks. Brooks said the city has seen the lawsuit, but it is the city's policy not to comment on pending litigation.

"It will all come out when this goes to court," Brooks said, adding the city will file a response to the lawsuit within 20 days.

Paying for bingo cards in which winners win cash violates Utah's gambling laws. Blue Sky Entertainment maintains that its club patrons purchase "dinner and snacks and regularly donate money to the club over and above the price of dinners and snacks." Patrons then receive free bingo cards which they use to play for cash awards.

A similar establishment was raided by Clearfield Police last March on suspicion of illegal gambling. Police raided the 49er Social Club, seizing touch-screen bingo computers and investigating whether patrons were paying for bingo cards and winning cash. Clearfield officers said they were also concerned that patrons, many of whom are elderly, were being financially exploited.

Big Sky says it has obtained consecutive business licenses from Riverdale City each year since 2001, with no concerns expressed. Since losing its license on Dec. 1, Big Sky estimates it has lost between $9,000 to $10,000 a week.

Company officials say they plan to seek a federal injunction to have the license temporarily reinstated.

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