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Georgia pair sentenced for operating illegal Flint gambling house18 July 2026(PRESS RELEASE) -- Two individuals associated with a criminal investigation into illegal gaming operations at 3301 Corunna Road in Flint were sentenced on 13 July in the 7th Circuit Court in Genesee County by Judge Elizabeth Kelly, following a joint investigation by the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). James Stiles and Laura Stiles, both residents of Georgia, were sentenced to one year of probation. Each pled guilty to one high court misdemeanor of maintaining a gambling house for gain (a 2-year misdemeanor). Mr. Stiles received nine days of jail credit and Mrs. Stiles received five days of jail credit. Both defendants were ordered to pay $500 in fines and costs, a $130 crime victim fee, $68 in state costs, and a $30 oversight fee. “This case shows what happens when an illegal gambling operation tries to hide behind a new name and a new sign,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said. “Our partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and the City of Flint made sure this location couldn’t simply reopen and continue operating outside the law.” The location was first investigated on 18 August 2022, when the MGCB and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office executed a search warrant at The Cellular Vault, a business operating out of 3301 Corunna Road, after suspecting illegal gaming activity at the site. That search netted 43 computers used for gambling and $2,572.48 in winnings and gambling proceeds. The business, known locally as “The Vault,” was subsequently shut down. Since then, the MGCB had received anonymous tips from concerned Michigan citizens indicating that a storefront casino had reopened at the same location under the new business name The Flint Arcade, where customers were reportedly offered the opportunity to play slot-style gaming machines. The Michigan Penal Code broadly prohibits any kind of gambling except for what is authorized by law, with potential consequences for Michigan businesses operating gaming machines illegally, including criminal charges and/or monetary fines. Following comprehensive investigations at 3301 Corunna Road in August 2022 and August 2023 by the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the MGCB, the City of Flint filed a complaint in the 7th Circuit Court in Genesee County, seeking relief that the building be abated with all its contents removed and sold, closed, and not used for any purpose for one year. A settlement agreement on that complaint was reached on 7 May 2024. The MGCB publishes fact sheets about legal vs. illegal gaming on its website and gives businesses that violate the law opportunities to come into compliance before authorities become involved and are forced to confiscate equipment and proceeds from an illegal operation. |