Five charged in operation of Murray cyber casino

The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has charged five people in 3rd District Court in connection with a gambling operation fronting as a cyber cafe.

The Fortune Cyber Cafe in Murray was busted in August.

Jackie David Martin, Solomon Daniel Remo, William Robert Dangel, Debby Kerr and Matthew Castile Marquart are charged with felony money laundering, misdemeanor gambling, misdemeanor gambling promotion and possessing a gambling device.

An undercover Murray police detective stated in court documents filed Friday that he purchased Internet time at the Fortune Cyber Cafe and was able to use that time as credits in games of chance he played on the cafe's computers.

Any winnings could be redeemed by an employee in a teller booth, documents state.

The officer also stated he never observed customers using the computers to access the Internet.

Murray police raided the cyber cafe in August and arrested or cited six employees and more than 45 patrons.

Two patrons were charged with drug distribution, possession of drug paraphernalia and gambling.

The cafe's earnings were deposited in a bank account and then transferred to another account owned by a Florida-based gaming company, which shares personnel ties with the Murray cyber cafe, documents state.

— Joseph M. Dougherty