Illegal Gambling Conviction Could Sink Indiana Election Contender's Campaign
A potential Democratic candidate running for the position of treasurer in Vigo County, Indiana, may have his chances of victory cancelled due to a decade-old conviction for illegal gambling.
Billy Joy from Terre Haute, Indiana, is contending for the Democratic nomination for the office, with his election day set for May 7th. However, two mysterious letters have been sent to The Terre Haute Tribune-Star, highlighting the candidate's criminal history.
In 2011, the Indiana Gaming Commission started investigating Joy, linking him to illegal gambling activities at a sports bar called Highway 40 in West Terre Haute. This led to excise officers raiding poker games in the bar.
Joy, in an interview with the Tribune Star, called the situation a mere instance of his friends and him playing cards and getting charged.
"A bunch of my buddies and me were playing cards, and they slapped us with charges," he said.
Hidden Affairs
However, court records depict a different story. Officials from the police and regulatory bodies believed Joy was the organizer of the games at the bar, along with other gambling activities happening in another venue where sports betting and other forms of gambling were also taking place.
Personal poker games are strictly prohibited in Indiana if any third-party is extracting money or otherwise profiting financially from the game.
In November 2013, Joy was apprehended and charged with three counts: corrupt business influence (Class C felony), money laundering (Class C felony), and professional gambling (Class D felony). He eventually pleaded guilty to a single count of professional gambling, which was later downgraded to a Class A misdemeanor upon serving a year in jail, with one day both served and pending, and 363 days suspended. Along with a $1 fine, $174 court costs, and probation, Joy also agreed to contribute $500 to a local charitable organization.
Vigo County attorney Terry Modesitt informed WTHI-TV that he was examining whether Joy's conviction could make him ineligible to stand for office.
Transgressions and Mishaps
The challenging part for Joy is that in Indiana, individuals cannot run for public office if they have been "found guilty of a felony by a jury or the court [or] entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to a felony even if the felony conviction was later reduced to a Class A misdemeanor," as mentioned by the Indiana Secretary of State's Office.
Joy candidly informed the Tribune-Star he had not sought legal counsel about the matter and appeared rather calm about the outcome.
"If the legal system tells me I have to take my name off, that's the way it will have to be," he said.
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Source: www.casino.org
