Photo courtesy of the Price City Police Department
On May 15, 2019, local business Castle Country Hobby and Pawn was searched by local law enforcement. This occurred due to the Carbon Metro Drug Task Force and Price City Police Department investigating purported gambling operations that were reported to occur at Marty Robbins’ places of business.
“This culminates an investigation spanning many months and citizen complaints over the alleged gambling machines,” the Price City Police Department shared following the seizure. “Technicalities in the former gambling law provided a potential loophole in enforcement of Utah’s no gambling law. That changed on May 14, 2019 at midnight when the new law went into effect. Possession of gambling machines is against the law. Owners throughout the state were given notice of this new change.”
The Price City Police continued, “The seized coin pushers were actively working and an undisclosed amount of cash was seized with those machines. The electronic slot machines each had a sign taped to them to the effect that they were ‘Out of Order.’ However, each machine was still plugged into a power strip or wall socket, and allegedly still fully functional. No money was seized with those machines.”
It was reported that at the business, as many as 17 possible gambling devices were seized. On Nov. 15, a preliminary hearing took place regarding this case, with Don M. Torgerson as the judge. The court carefully considered the arguments of the parties and, based on the evidence presented, Robbins was then bound over for trial on 24 counts due to obtaining gambling devices.
Finally, on Wednesday, Robbins once again stood before Judge Torgerson where he was presented with an order of arraignment. The arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 5 and will begin at 12:30 p.m.