A Stockton, California pastor has been arrested for allegedly running an illegal gaming operation that he claims he thought was just an arcade.
Pastor Thai “John” Nguyen was running the “arcade” with the former mayor of the city, Anthony Silva. Together they also operate a family-friendly inflatable water park.
Interviewed in jail by Fox40, he said he thought the operation was legal. “Yeah, because it’s an arcade. You put the money there, you’re playing, you’re shooting airplane … and nothing is really, like, violent.” He added that he thought he was operating a thrift shop and had been on the job about two months. “What I do is from my heart and to bring this to the community. You see a lot of homeless are coming and I’m trying to help the homeless.”
The city’s vice unit put the business under surveillance just about that long. According to Stockton Police Officer Joe Silva they seized 30 computes and three gaming tables, plus cash and firearms, including a stolen gun. Nguyen claims the confiscated items came from a part of the store where he never goes.
