A San Jose resident and several of his associates believed to be behind illegal drug and underground gambling operations are now in custody following a series of San Jose Police Department (SJPD) raids last week.
Detectives from the Burglary Prevention Unit (BPU) with the SJPD identified Chuong Ho, 43, as both the primary suspect and the mastermind behind a criminal organization that operated illegal underground casinos across the city.
Ho and his associates were booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on numerous charges. The SJPD, however, did not elaborate on Ho’s charges and how many of his associates have been arrested.
The BPU conducted a massive raid operation on Thursday at six locations in the city, as well as another address in the city of Los Baños, California, which is about 79 miles away from San Jose.
The raided addresses include:
- 2000 block of Whittington Drive in San Jose
- 1000 block of Commercial Court in San Jose
- 400 block of East Williams Street in San Jose
- 200 block of Prairiewood Court in San Jose
- 3000 block of Capewood Lane in San Jose
- 1800 block of Harbor View Avenue in San Jose
- 21000 block of Ingomar Grade in Los Baños
BPU detectives reportedly began their investigation after receiving complaints from community members about how the illegal activities, such as gambling and drug use, affected their safety.
“They generate a lot of quality of life issues. But also behind the scenes, they create a lot of criminality associated not only with the casinos but firearms, drug consumption, drug possession,” San Jose Police Spokesperson Officer Steven Aponte said, according to CBS News.
A neighbor of one of the raided houses who did not want to be identified told the news network that they kept seeing people coming in and out of the house “24 hours a day.”
The large-scale operation was conducted with the assistance of several units within the SJPD, such as the Covert Response Unit and Special Operations, as well as officers from the Santa Clara Police Department, the Department of Motor Vehicles and U.S. Postal Inspectors.
The authorities reportedly seized more than $285,000 in cash, dozens of illegal gambling machines, 11 firearms, more than eight pounds of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine, 500 MDMA pills and more than 2,000 pieces of stolen mail.
