DENVER - Three people have been formally charged in connection with a suspected illegal gambling operation.
Bagrat Garamov, his wife Tammy and Eduard Gugulyan were arrested late last month after a nearly year-long criminal investigation.
All three are now charged with multiple counts of slot machines— shipping violation (F5), engaging in professional gambling, fraudulent limited gaming acts, possession of a gambling device or record, and maintaining a gambling premises.
Bagrat Garamov is charged with 198 criminal counts; Tammy Garamov with 172 counts, and Gugulyan with 60 counts.
Prosecutors allege that they conducted illegal gaming activities at their businesses American Pride Skill Games, located at 10890 East Dartmouth Avenue; La Fortuna Skill Arcade, located at 9 South Federal Boulevard; and El Dorado Skill Games, located at 2544 Sheridan Boulevard.
In May 2017, the Denver Police Department, with support from District Attorney prosecutors, began an undercover investigation related to gambling activities at these businesses.
Gaming equipment was seized as part of the raids. The businesses operate video and electronic games alleged to be “slot machines” and “gambling devices” as defined by Colorado state law, in which players pay to play with the opportunity to win money.
Neither the businesses nor their co-owners are licensed to possess slot machines or to operate gaming establishments by the Colorado Division of Gaming. Gambling is only legal in Colorado in limited circumstances and locations that do not apply to the alleged above illegal gaming activities.
Tammy Garmova spoke with 9NEWS earlier this month.
"Our games are arcade games, really no different than games you would find at Dave and Busters, Chuckie Cheese, and FTW," she told us.
