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3 Charged With Running Illegal Gambling

News Channel 8 photo by JIM FARQUHAR

Cyber Pal Café is located at 32700 U.S. 19 N. in Palm Harbor.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 29, 2008

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James Hill

Zbigniew Skwara

Steven G. Duke

CLEARWATER -- After an eight-month investigation that included state agents, Pinellas County deputies arrested three men and closed three businesses Wednesday that investigators say were running illegal Internet gambling operations.

Detectives also seized 139 computers and $14,000 after serving search warrants on the businesses located in Seminole, Dunedin and Palm Harbor.

The three men arrested were: Steven Duke, 52, 12800 Vonn Road, Apt. 5954, Largo; Zbigniew Skwara, 50, 433 Pent St. Tarpon Springs; and James Michael Hill, 29, 236 Dornoch St., Davenport.

The sheriff's office said each man faces a felony charge of maintaining a gambling establishment.

Duke was also charged with 52 counts of possession of a coin operated device, a misdemeanor. Skwara was charged with 20 counts of possession of a coin operated device and Hill was charged with 60 counts of possession of a coin operated device.

Warrants were served about 10:30 Wednesday morning at Mike's Internet Café, 10251 Seminole Blvd., Seminole; Cyber Pal Café, U.S. 19 N., Palm Harbor and Hot Spots Cyber Center, 2636 Bayshore Dr., Dunedin.

The sheriff's office said Duke was manager of Mike's Internet Café, Skwara ran the Cyber Pal and Hill was regional manager for Hot Spots.

The investigation started when the sheriff's office received complaints about gambling at the three businesses. Undercover detectives went to each business before seeking the warrants.

The sheriff's office said customers purchased either phone cards or cards for Internet service time. Each dollar spent was converted into 100 points the customers could use to play about a dozen different computer versions of Bingo, slot or keno games.

Any points a customer won from the games was redeemed for cash at the business, the sheriff's office said.

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