SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A suspect was charged on multiple accounts for operating fringe gambling machines out of her Salt Lake City gas station.
35-year-old Priya Patel Rodriguez of Centerville was charged on Feb. 24 on two counts of having fringe gaming devices (one third-degree felony and one class A misdemeanor) and one count of money laundering (a second-degree felony) by the 2nd District Court of Utah.
The gas station, dubbed “Ajays,” is operated by Shell and located at 3427 South Orchard Drive in North Salt Lake City, Davis County.
An officer investigating the gambling operation personally played the machine on Sept. 28, 2021, when he paid $10.00 for 1,000 credits and was paid out $25.00 after all was said and done.
The same officer reentered the station on Oct. 25, 2021, and was presented $29.00 after playing another $10.00.
On Jan. 31, 2022, the officer in question along with other agents conducted a search of the residence after receiving the necessary warrant. Throughout the search, officers confiscated the gaming devices, the cash within the gaming devices, the cash kept under the counter for payouts, and items deemed “prizes” for wins exceeding $100.
In speaking to law enforcement, Rodriguez allegedly made statements of receiving monetary gain from the fringe gambling devices by pocketing 50 percent of all proceeds from both the in-store gambling machines as well as online gambling devices. She additionally disclosed that all of the proceeds were shared with a person named “Shane” who periodically came in to service the machines.
