Crime & Safety
Smyrna Man Arrested in Gambling Sting
He allegedly allowed gambling to "openly occur on electronic gaming machines" inside the Quick Pick Food Mart.
Two Quick Pick Food Mart employees have been arrested after an undercover operation revealed an illegal gambling enterprise at the Atlanta Road store.
Between May 9 and June 26, authorities said that Mesfin Habtea Wolde of Smyrna and Carol R. Carver of Marietta allegedly allowed gambling to "openly occur on electronic gaming machines" inside the Quick Pick Food Mart.
Undercover agents with the Marietta Cobb Smyrna Narcotics Unit won credit and/or money on the machines, and they were paid with cash from the business register, according to arrest warrants for Wolde and Carver.
Gambling for money is illegal in Georgia.
"These machines are akin to slot machines but operate on a touch screen," according to the warrants. "These machines were not legal as they were not used for entertainment purposes."
Wolde and Carver were arrested June 26 at the Quick Pick Food Mart on similar charges, including commercial gambling and keeping a gambling place. Commercial gambling is a felony offense.
Both were released June 27 on bonds of $5,000 each.
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