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Deon Nguyen arrested again for running illegal gambling operation in San Jose
San Jose authorities arrested a suspect who continued to run an illegal gambling den out of a home four months after police busted it. Deon Nguyen was arrested as the primary suspect in the operation. The 26-year-old had his San Jose area home raided, and not for the first time.
On Dec. 30, police seized several gambling machines and narcotics as they took four suspects into custody. But those arrests did not stop the operation. Authorities later discovered that it continued to run. On April 7, another search warrant led to the seizure of several more gambling machines.
The most recent search unearthed $51,000 in cash and a cornucopia of illegal items at Nguyen’s home, including firearms. Police found:
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Seven rifles with illegal modifications
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A short-barreled fully automatic rifle
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Shotgun
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10 handguns
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Several extended magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition
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butterfly knives
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brass knuckles
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Is There Any Connection to Other San Jose Crimes?
Nguyen’s arrest was not immediately connected to other San Jose crimes that have revolved around gambling in recent months. At the end of April, there were more illegal gambling operation busts.
A double homicide in March was also connected to an illegal gambling operation. Forty-six-year-old Gustavo Rodriguez of San Jose allegedly shot two men dead on March 12 inside a commercial building that was used for illicit gambling. Police were still investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting in the couple of months since it occurred.
The April 30 illegal gambling bust, unrelated to the series of busts that involved Nguyen, led to the arrest of 13 people and the seizure of $3,000 cash, gaming machines, and narcotics.
San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph outlined how the crimes related to illegal gambling are not victimless:
Illegal gambling operations are not victimless crimes. They create environments where violence thrives and put innocent lives at risk. This operation reflects our commitment to aggressively pursue those who operate outside the law and threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.
Jeffrey McMillan
Poker Writer
Jeffrey is an Expert Sports and Poker Writer with poker being his specific scope for the better part of five years. He has worked in various capacities at the biggest poker events in the world, WSOP, EPT, local tournaments and more. He has worked with PokerNews, Poker.Org, 888poker and the WSOP itself through the years. Jeff is also a fervent follower of many sports, professional, collegiate and international, with a particular interest in tennis. He received a Master's in Sports Management from the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and a Bachelors in the same field from Clemson University.