Long Beach police detectives were looking for people who would buy tobacco products for minors Saturday but found an alleged illegal gambling operation instead, authorities said.
It happened about 11:20 a.m. in the 200 block of West Anaheim Street, police officials said.
Detectives working a tobacco decoy operation outside a retail business discovered it had six illegal gambling machines inside, officials said.
They detained the clerk during the investigation and found that Damien Henry, 40, of Long Beach was on Post Release Community Supervision and in possession of a firearm, police said.
He was arrested for suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and accepting illegal wagers, police said. He was being held on $35,000 bail in the gambling case but no bail on the possession case, according to sheriff's inmate records.
Business owner Vaughn Telemaque, 29, of Long Beach was arrested for suspicion of running an illegal gambling operation with bail of $20,000, police said. He was released at 6:43 p.m. after posting a bond, according to sheriff's inmate records.
Detectives also found an illegal gambling machine inside a neighboring business owned by Hout Chhim, 50, of Long Beach. He detained and released for suspicion of misdemeanor possession of an illegal gambling machine, police said.
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Detectives confiscated seven gambling machines, one firearm and $1,700 in cash, police said.
Thursday, they served a search warrant at an alleged illegal gambling operation in the 2300 block of Pacific Avenue and arrested six suspects, police said.
