Bookmaker brothers rack up gambling and drug charges

November 19, 2013

Calgary… Seventeen charges, ranging from gambling to drug offences, have been laid against two brothers who are alleged to have run a long-time illegal bookmaking operation in southern Alberta.

The Calgary Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), an integrated team made up of Calgary Police Service (CPS) and RCMP members, partnered with the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission on a 21-month gambling and drug investigation.

Rodney Scott Garinger, a 45-year-old man from Calgary, and his brother, Kevin Todd Garinger, a 43-year-old man from Lethbridge, profited hundreds of thousands of dollars from their illegal gambling operation, which also included drugs. Investigators estimated that in a recent 40-day period the pair profited $65,000 on hockey and football bets.

CFSEU-Calgary also seized 10 lbs of marihuana from the brothers. The drugs have a street value of more than $45,000.

Charges against the brothers include:

• Keeping a common gaming house (x 2)
• Bookmaking (x 2)
• Recording or registering bets (x 2)
• Making bets in person (x 2)
• Making bets over the phone (x 2)
• Drug trafficking (marihuana) (x 3)
• Conspiracy to traffic (cocaine) (x 2)
• Possession of the proceeds of crime (x 2)

An associate of the brothers, Thomas John Ross a 46-year-old man from Vernon, B.C., was also implicated in the investigation. He is alleged to have supplied large quantities of marihuana to Alberta and he now faces charges of trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking. At the time of this release Ross has not been located and a Canada-wide warrant has been issued for his arrest. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Ross is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

The Gaming Investigation Team (GIT) is a joint force of law enforcement bodies, funded by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission and mandated to identify and prosecute illegal and unlicensed gaming activities in the Province of Alberta. This would include bookmaking activity, after hour poker clubs and unlicensed raffles. The RCMP and Calgary Police Service have supplied police officers to work full time on this initiative which started in 2004 while the remaining municipal police services supply manpower on a case-by-case basis.

CFSEU-Calgary is an ALERT team established and funded by the Government of Alberta to bring together the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime. Nearly 400 municipal police, RCMP, and sheriffs work for ALERT.

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Media inquiries may be directed to:
 

S/Sgt. Martin Schiavetta
CFSEU-Calgary
Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT)
403-428-4735                

Dan Huang
Communications
Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission
780-447-8740