Hope Mills Pair Indicted for Illegal Operations of Oasis Sweepstakes

The Cumberland County Grand Jury has issued felony indictments against a Wake County couple, Cecil Alfred (Al) Parker Jr. and Cathy Parker, for the operation of a Continuing Criminal Enterprise and conspiracy to conduct gambling operations and to obstruct justice arising from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing investigation of illegal gambling. 

Sheriff Earl “Moose” Butler indicated that these arrests are the first in a series of additional indictments stemming from the raids and seizures conducted by the Sheriff’s Office earlier this year. Butler points out that many of these gambling operations are “a form of organized crime, and we intend to stop them.”

The indictments charge that Al Parker, Cathy Parker, and Doug Guy owned and operated Oasis Sweepstakes located at 3451 Chicken Foot Road, Hope Mills, NC. According to the indictments, Guy and the Parkers placed video poker machines and other illegal gambling devices on the Oasis premises and paid cash winnings to players of the video poker and other illegal gambling machines in violation of the North Carolina General Statutes.  The indictments further allege that Al and Cathy Parker were organizers and managers of the illegal gambling business which employed more than five employees when Sheriff’s Deputies seized 33 “Pot O’ Gold,” video poker, and other gambling machines from Oasis Sweepstakes during the execution of a search warrant on April 8th of this year. 

The indictments also charge that Al and Cathy Parker conspired with Doug Guy and others to obstruct justice by alteration of evidence during a felony investigation by removing parts of illegal video gaming machines in a plan or scheme to present illegal video gaming machines or gambling devices as lawful items of property. 

Sheriff Butler stated, “We have worked closely with the District Attorney’s excellent staff in analyzing and bringing forward these cases involving serious criminal activity.  We will continue to work together as indictments are issued in other cases from this investigation.”

Sheriff Butler emphasized, “Our people have been working since the raids, gathering and compiling the information.  Deputies have interviewed witnesses, collected documents and conducted many hours of surveillance to build these cases.  These charges carry serious prison time.  I hope this sends the message that video poker and gambling and the other crime that these operations bring will not be tolerated in Cumberland County.”

List of Charges 

Continuing Criminal Enterprise

Conspiracy to Commit Continuing Criminal Enterprise

Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice

Operation of Prohibited Gaming Machines

Conspiracy to Operate Prohibited Gaming Machines

Manufacture, Sale, etc. of Slot Machines and Devices

Agreements with reference to Slot Machines or devices made Unlawful