By: By Bill Jones/Staff Writer
Source: The Greeneville Sun
01-12-2006
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Cocke County Sheriff D.C. Ramsey is named in federal court documents about an ongoing FBI investigation of illegal gambling and racketeering activities in Cocke County that were unsealed on Wednesday.
Ramsey, who has not been charged with any crimes, is mentioned in an FBI’s agent’s January 2005 application for a federal court order to “enter onto private property for the purpose of installing and monitoring a mobile tracking device.”
Sheriff Ramsey’s administrative assistant, Deborah Gregg, said this morning that “Sheriff Ramsey has no comment at this time.” Court documents indicated that FBI Agent Lane Rushing sought permission to install a mobile tracking device on a green Plymouth minivan that allegedly was being used in the commission of violations of law including illegal gambling, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, obstruction of local law enforcement to facilitate illegal gambling and other offenses.
“Your deponent (Special Agent Rushing) further states that there is probable cause to believe that the installation of a mobile tracking device placed in or on the subject vehicle, and monitoring of the mobile tracking device, will lead to evidence of the aforementioned violations as well as to the identification of individuals who are engaged in the commission of those and related crimes,” Rushing wrote in his application for a judge’s permission to install the tracking device.
Investigation Began In 2001
Since 2001, according to the application document, the FBI has been conducting an investigation into public corruption and other illegal activities in Cocke County.
“One aspect of that investigation involves illegal gambling businesses, to include cock fights and gambling machines in bars, and payments to local law enforcement officers, to include Cocke County Sheriff D.C. Ramsey and his nephew, Cocke County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Pat Taylor, to further the illegal gambling,” Special Agent Rushing wrote.
His application for installation of the mobile tracking device also said, “Gambling machines, commonly known as video poker machines, have long been reported to be in operation throughout Cocke County.”
The application noted that “cooperating witnesses and confidential informants” said the machines are located in bars, restaurants, convenience markets and other retail establishments.
“The machines often bear signs indicating that they are ‘for amusement only,’ but, to the knowledgeable patron, payoffs for winnings are available from workers in the establishments,” Special Agent Rushing’s application noted. “Many of the machines accept currency, to include $20 bills, an amount significantly greater that the usual 50-cent charge for regular video amusement machines,” the application stated.
Chief Deputy’s Brother Named
The application also noted that “independent and unrelated sources” had described and named Cocke County businesses that had gambling machines and provided payoffs to patrons.
“Several of these witnesses and informants have identified a relationship between Newport Games and those businesses,” Special Agent Rushing’s application stated.
“According to public records and observations by agents, Newport Games’ business premises are located at 624 North Street, Newport. Jarrod Taylor, brother of Chief Deputy Pat Taylor, is employed by, or involved in, the operation of Newport Games,” Rushing wrote.
Pat Taylor and Jarrod Taylor were indicted by a federal grand jury in December on charges of conspiring to receive, conceal and dispose of goods valued at $5,000 or more that they believed to have been stolen.
But neither has been charged with illegal gambling violations.
During his December appearance in U.S. District Court in Greeneville, Jarrod Taylor told the court that he was employed as a truck driver for English Mountain Spring Water. He did not mention being involved with Newport Games.
The January 2005 application for installation of a mobile monitoring device alleged the van that agents were targeting for installation of the device was “possessed and operated by Jarrod Taylor and has been observed parked at Taylor’s residence at 131 Iris Place, Newport.”
The application also listed a series of dates, beginning in November 2004, on which Jarrod Taylor was seen driving the van when it made stops at establishments “reported to have video poker gambling machines.”
The court document also noted that “cooperating witnesses and confidential informants have advised that these trips are made to pick up money from the gambling machines as well as (to) pay the establishment operators their share of the illegal gambling proceeds.”
On Jan. 4, 2004, according to the application, Jarrod Taylor was seen driving the van to a convenience market near the Tennessee/North Carolina state line.
While there, (Jarrod) Taylor was seen walking to the adjoining bar,” the application stated. “Both the bar and the convenience market are owned and operated by the same person who owns a cock-fighting pit located in Del Rio, Tenn., which is also involved in illegal gambling” the application said.
From the convenience store and bar, according to the application, Jarrod Taylor was seen driving in the van on Jan. 4, 2005, to a restaurant and another convenience store before returning to Newport Games, according to the application.
Source: The Greeneville Sun
01-12-2006
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Cocke County Sheriff D.C. Ramsey is named in federal court documents about an ongoing FBI investigation of illegal gambling and racketeering activities in Cocke County that were unsealed on Wednesday.
Ramsey, who has not been charged with any crimes, is mentioned in an FBI’s agent’s January 2005 application for a federal court order to “enter onto private property for the purpose of installing and monitoring a mobile tracking device.”
Sheriff Ramsey’s administrative assistant, Deborah Gregg, said this morning that “Sheriff Ramsey has no comment at this time.” Court documents indicated that FBI Agent Lane Rushing sought permission to install a mobile tracking device on a green Plymouth minivan that allegedly was being used in the commission of violations of law including illegal gambling, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, obstruction of local law enforcement to facilitate illegal gambling and other offenses.
“Your deponent (Special Agent Rushing) further states that there is probable cause to believe that the installation of a mobile tracking device placed in or on the subject vehicle, and monitoring of the mobile tracking device, will lead to evidence of the aforementioned violations as well as to the identification of individuals who are engaged in the commission of those and related crimes,” Rushing wrote in his application for a judge’s permission to install the tracking device.
Investigation Began In 2001
Since 2001, according to the application document, the FBI has been conducting an investigation into public corruption and other illegal activities in Cocke County.
“One aspect of that investigation involves illegal gambling businesses, to include cock fights and gambling machines in bars, and payments to local law enforcement officers, to include Cocke County Sheriff D.C. Ramsey and his nephew, Cocke County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Pat Taylor, to further the illegal gambling,” Special Agent Rushing wrote.
His application for installation of the mobile tracking device also said, “Gambling machines, commonly known as video poker machines, have long been reported to be in operation throughout Cocke County.”
The application noted that “cooperating witnesses and confidential informants” said the machines are located in bars, restaurants, convenience markets and other retail establishments.
“The machines often bear signs indicating that they are ‘for amusement only,’ but, to the knowledgeable patron, payoffs for winnings are available from workers in the establishments,” Special Agent Rushing’s application noted. “Many of the machines accept currency, to include $20 bills, an amount significantly greater that the usual 50-cent charge for regular video amusement machines,” the application stated.
Chief Deputy’s Brother Named
The application also noted that “independent and unrelated sources” had described and named Cocke County businesses that had gambling machines and provided payoffs to patrons.
“Several of these witnesses and informants have identified a relationship between Newport Games and those businesses,” Special Agent Rushing’s application stated.
“According to public records and observations by agents, Newport Games’ business premises are located at 624 North Street, Newport. Jarrod Taylor, brother of Chief Deputy Pat Taylor, is employed by, or involved in, the operation of Newport Games,” Rushing wrote.
Pat Taylor and Jarrod Taylor were indicted by a federal grand jury in December on charges of conspiring to receive, conceal and dispose of goods valued at $5,000 or more that they believed to have been stolen.
But neither has been charged with illegal gambling violations.
During his December appearance in U.S. District Court in Greeneville, Jarrod Taylor told the court that he was employed as a truck driver for English Mountain Spring Water. He did not mention being involved with Newport Games.
The January 2005 application for installation of a mobile monitoring device alleged the van that agents were targeting for installation of the device was “possessed and operated by Jarrod Taylor and has been observed parked at Taylor’s residence at 131 Iris Place, Newport.”
The application also listed a series of dates, beginning in November 2004, on which Jarrod Taylor was seen driving the van when it made stops at establishments “reported to have video poker gambling machines.”
The court document also noted that “cooperating witnesses and confidential informants have advised that these trips are made to pick up money from the gambling machines as well as (to) pay the establishment operators their share of the illegal gambling proceeds.”
On Jan. 4, 2004, according to the application, Jarrod Taylor was seen driving the van to a convenience market near the Tennessee/North Carolina state line.
While there, (Jarrod) Taylor was seen walking to the adjoining bar,” the application stated. “Both the bar and the convenience market are owned and operated by the same person who owns a cock-fighting pit located in Del Rio, Tenn., which is also involved in illegal gambling” the application said.
From the convenience store and bar, according to the application, Jarrod Taylor was seen driving in the van on Jan. 4, 2005, to a restaurant and another convenience store before returning to Newport Games, according to the application.