A Burton man was sentenced to 30 days on a jail tether and two years probation for stealing thousands of dollars from Flint area charity poker fundraisers.
56 year old Todd West plead guilty to one count of larceny by false pretenses of $1,000 to $20,000. West agreed to pay back nearly $12,000 to those charities.
Prosecutors say West skimmed profits from charity poker events that were intended to help communities. He arranged and operated charity gaming events at Gloria's Poker Palace. West admitted to taking money from Blessed Sacrament Church, the Knights of Columbus Council and the Kearsley Hockey Boosters. The judge ordered West to pay back those organizations within six months.
Gloria's Poker Palace, Pocket Aces and Lucky's are among several Michigan locations where gaming was discontinued following investigations. The Michigan Attorney General's office says 14 people associated with those places have pled guilty to gaming crimes since 2014.
