SARASOTA, Fla. – Law enforcement officers seized dozens of illegal gambling machines on Wednesday, August 26, following joint raids at two separate businesses along North Lockwood Ridge Road.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office—including its Intelligence Unit, TAC Unit, Special Investigations Section, and Patrol deputies—conducted the operations in coordination with the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
During the first search at an unnamed storefront located at 3503 N. Lockwood Ridge Road, investigators confiscated 28 illegal slot machines.
A second warrant executed further up the road at Surf’s Up, located at 6394 N. Lockwood Ridge Road, yielded another 48 machines. In total, authorities removed 76 machines across both properties.
Investigators reported that no staff members were inside either location when deputies arrived to serve the warrants.
Following the searches, authorities filed misdemeanor charges against individuals identified as employees of the two businesses. The sheriff’s office has also sent capias requests for maintaining a gambling house to the State Attorney’s Office for formal review and potential prosecution.
READ: Florida Felon Handed Double Life Sentence After Oxford Drug Trafficking Bust
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
