About the only piece of evidence the prosecution didn’t have in the murder case against 20-year-old Patrick Fluker was an eyewitness testifying that he was seen shooting 29-year-old Tiffany Mendez in the head.FORT WAYNE – One of the men who was involved in a now-closed charity casino pleaded guilty Friday in Allen Superior Court to promoting professional gambling.
George Kotsopoulos, 52, admitted to allowing what was known as Parnell Poker Palace to be used for professional gambling.
As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, additional charges of conspiracy to commit unlawful charity gaming contracting and conspiracy to commit professional gambling will be dismissed when he is sentenced.
There is no agreement in place as to what his sentence will be, according to court documents.
Kotsopoulos was one of five men charged in March after an Indiana Gaming Commission investigation into the Parnell Poker Palace, which operated at 4608 Parnell Ave. from December 2008 to June 2009.
It was operated by Ralph White, 56, Charles I. Keller, 68, and Larry L. York, 47. Kotsopoulos owned the building used by the Poker Palace.
White, Keller and York were all charged with corrupt business influence, theft, unlawful charity gaming contracting and professional gambling.
Also charged was Edward Miers, 44. He faces charges of unlawful charity gaming contracting and professional gambling.
White runs White’s School of the Arts Community Development Programs, a non-profit organization that he has said offers 24-hour day care for about 90 children, educational and athletic programs, including martial arts.
For a while, White’s School of the Arts was a “qualified organization,” allowing it to obtain an annual charity game night license. At the time, Indiana law allowed non-profit groups and charitable and fraternal organizations to obtain a license to sponsor gambling events for charity.
State lawmakers amended the laws concerning charity gambling, making licenses available only to veterans and fraternal organizations.
Visitors to the Parnell Poker Palace could play poker, craps, roulette and blackjack three days a week from noon to 3 a.m.
White, Keller and York recruited and hired dealers and pit bosses and paid them cash, according to court documents. They enlisted “investors” to help finance the Poker Palace and split the revenue between themselves and White’s School of the Arts.
State law forbids anyone from being paid a salary at a charity gaming facility, and all proceeds from the games must be used by the qualified organization for charitable purposes. The rent charged to the casino must not be based on the proceeds from any event.
The cases against the other men are still pending.
