A retired Michigan police chief has pleaded no contest to fees regarding his alleged operation of an unlawful playing enterprise. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
No trial
A retired Flint police chief has pleaded no contest to playing violations and firearms fees and now faces as much as 5 years in jail for allegedly working an unlawful playing scheme. William-Bradford Barksdale filed his plea on Wednesday, in response to an announcement from the Michigan Lawyer Common’s workplace.
sentencing for the previous police chief will happen on April 14
Barksdale was charged with playing violations, which is usually a five-year felony, in addition to a misdemeanor cost for the reckless use of a firearm. The sentencing for the previous police chief will happen on April 14 on the Genesee County Circuit Court docket.
The unlawful operation
The 70-year-old’s co-accused are Adam Crossnoe and his father Alvin, who all ran the West Level Arcade in Flint. They had been initially charged again in 2018. Adam Crossnoe pleaded responsible in October 2021 to a single rely of playing violations and bought two years’ probation. Alvin Crossnoe pled responsible to a single rely of tried playing violations.
suspected that unlawful playing was going down on the premises
Michigan Gaming Management Board (MGCB) regulation officers suspected that unlawful playing was going down on the arcade. They visited the property a number of instances in 2017 and had been in a position to make use of pc stations to play casino-style video games, with winnings paid out as generic present playing cards. Undercover footage confirmed Adam Crossnoe instructing an officer on tips on how to play the video games.
This kind of operation fell inside the definition of playing and the arcade didn’t have a license to supply such playing companies. Officers obtained a search warrant and located 80 firearms, eight of which had been sawed-off shotguns.
A protracted-running relationship
MGCB government director Henry Williams commented on the case, underlining the significance of eliminating all types of unlawful playing operations within the state. He mentioned that they “don’t belong in our neighborhoods, the place they create undesirable crime and prey on senior residents and different weak folks. We’re happy with the result of this investigation.”
Barksdale retired as Flint police chief in 2004. He seemingly had a long-standing relationship with the Crossnoes, being an everyday participant on the Palace Poker Room, which they owned. In 2009, Barksdale was on the poker site when he shot and killed a masked intruder who was allegedly trying to rob the property. The previous police chief was not charged with any wrongdoing in that exact case.
