Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office officials seized poker machines and drugs on Friday (April 28) in Bennettsville.
The Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team, along with the Criminal Investigations Division and Uniformed Patrol Division, conducted Operation Pay to Play at around 8 p.m. at a residence on Wise Court in the Bennettsville area of Marlboro County.
According to Investigator Clay Anderson, Operation Pay to Play involved a search warrant at the Wise Court residence.
“This search warrant was based on numerous complaints of illegal video poker machines being housed and played at this location,” he said.
Seven video poker machines and $1,673 in US currency were located and seized.
Arlington Fitzgerald Bostic, 57, of Bennettsville, was arrested on scene and charged with unlawful possession and operation of video poker/gambling devices and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Bostic was transported to the Marlboro County Detention Center for booking. Another individual, which was on the scene playing an illegal poker machine, was cited for violation of South Carolina gambling laws.
Anderson said some money was in the video poker machines at the time of the search warrant, the remainder was on Bostic, and over 70 grams of marijuana was seized inside the residence.
Operation Pay to Play was the third time in the last five years that the MCSO had searched this same address for illegal gambling video poker machines.
Anderson said Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office thanked the community for assisting with complaints and tips on this illegal gambling operation.
The Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone with any information pertaining to any type of criminal activity in Marlboro County to call the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office at 843-479-5605.