There is always something to admire in a father and son operation, but not when that operation involves illegal gambling. That is the allegation against a father and son who were providing such an operation out of their Roseville, Michigan legitimate business.
On February 12, David John Hoppe, 57, pled guilty to three felonies and a misdemeanor related to the illegal gambling operations he was running out of the 777 Café in Roseville with his son, Lucas Hoppe, 31. The two men were charged after a joint investigation by the Roseville Police Department, Michigan’s Attorney General and the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB).
The investigation began in 2018 when tips were provided to law enforcement officials about the illegal operation. According to reports, David Hoppe claimed that the slot machines used had been certified and approved by the independent gaming lab, but it was later discovered that the MGCB had not certified the machines.
A search warrant was issued, and the café was raided in June 2018. At the time investigators seized 19 gaming terminals, gaming receipts, and an undisclosed amount of cash.
“Illegal gambling operations not only pose a threat to consumers through rigged games, but they also rob our schools and our government of essential funding,” explained Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “We have gambling regulations in place to protect our residents – and those who defy those regulations will be held accountable.”
The elder Hoppe pled guilty on Wednesday to one felony count of running an illegal gaming operation, and two felony counts of using computers to commit a crime. He also pled guilty to a misdemeanor offense of maintaining a gambling house for gain.
The younger Hoppe pled guilty last month to a reduced charge of attempting to run an illegal gaming operation. Three other charges against him were dropped as part of the plea agreement. Charges against a third person, Denise M. Hagan, were dropped last month.
David Hoppe will be sentenced on March 5. His son is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on March 12. No official statement was provided as to the amount of time that the two will receive, although the maximum penalty for the elder Hoppe is 10 years. However, it is not expected he will be sentenced to that amount of time.
