COUNTY ATTORNEY CLOSES ILLEGAL GAME ROOM IN ALDINE

Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan has won a court order shutting down an unpermitted game room in North Houston where a security guard was murdered on November 6.

On November 11th, Judge Sylvia Matthews granted Ryan’s request for a temporary restraining order to immediately close the game room based on imminent harm to the public.

The lawsuit claims Bonifacio Alvarez Sanchez owns the land and profits from a game room operating without a permit in a mobile home at 534 Dale Street, a residential neighborhood near Aldine Mail Route. The lawsuit alleges that the game room is a haven for habitual criminal activity including illegal gambling, reckless discharge of a firearm, robbery, aggravated robbery and murder.

Harris County Constable Precinct 1 conducted undercover gambling investigations on multiple occasions at the illegal game room. During the course of these investigations, Precinct 1 determined that the game room was engaged in illegal gambling. Additionally, a security guard at the game room was murdered by two gunmen during an armed robbery on November 6. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the murder.

“This illegal game room is the perfect example of how these types of illicit businesses lead to more serious crime,” said County Attorney Ryan. “Illegal game rooms are often targets of violent crimes that put customers, employees and neighbors at risk.”

This lawsuit is the result of the work of the Harris County Attorney’s Office with the East Aldine Management District. Since 2011, the County Attorney and the Management District have worked together to improve area neighborhoods by focusing on business owners that tolerate habitual criminal activity.