Illegal slot machines at Canton, Ohio, cafe draw indictment
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CANTON (WJW) — A man who allegedly ran illegal slot machines out of a Harrisburg Road cafe for five years is now facing federal charges.
Steven Saris, 47, of Canton, was indicted on a charge of operating an illegal gambling business at Café 62 between 2013 and 2018, court records show.
Saris co-owned the cafe with another person who was not identified or charged, according to the indictment. The venue’s true ownership was concealed by naming another person — also not identified — as its nominee owner.
Saris and at least four other people were allegedly involved the illegal business through July 11, 2018, according to the indictment.
“[Saris] and his co-conspirators offered slot machines at Café 62 upon which the public could gamble. If a patron won on a slot machine, employees of Café 62 paid that patron’s winnings in cash,” reads the indictment.
Saris faces up to five years in prison, if convicted under the statute.
The indictment also seeks forfeiture of a house Saris owns along Clydesdale Street Northwest in North Canton. The Stark County Auditor’s Office values the property at $476,600. It’s now up for sale by the owner for $1.27 million.
The investigation included the Internal Revenue Service’s criminal division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Casino and Gaming Commission and the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, according to a news release.
