Wayne County businesses raided as part of illegal gambling investigation

WOOSTER -- A handful of Wayne County businesses and homes were raided Wednesday as part of an investigation against an illegal gambling ring based in Cuyahoga County.

Martin Sarcyk, 61, North Royalton, was arrested after he was secretly indicted Monday in Cuyahoga County for money laundering charges, according to a release on the investigation and warrants from the Ohio Investigative Unit, under the auspices of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

The case is part of a larger investigation surrounding the manufacture, distribution and operation of electronic video slot machines at Internet gaming cafes.

The search warrants were executed at more than 15 locations in Cleveland, Euclid, Parma Heights, Fairview Park, Highland Heights, Mentor, North Royalton, Wooster and Dalton.

Locally, members of the Wooster Police Department and Medway Drug Enforcement Agency assisted in the warrants.

The Puzzle Bug and Fun and Skill Games businesses, at 3777 and 2889 Cleveland Road, respectively, in Wooster, were raided, along with the Fun Skills Games on Lincoln View Drive in Dalton. Additionally, a home at 2709 Tanglewood Drive -- owned by Richard and Elisabetha Johnson, according to the Wayne County Auditor's website -- and another Wooster home were raided. No address was available for this home.

Contacts listed for the OIU were unavailable for additional comments regarding the case and how the Wayne County locations fit into the larger alleged scheme.

Wooster Police Chief Matt Fisher said he did not have a lot of details on the investigation as the case originates from the state and Cuyahoga County agencies.

He did note Wooster and Medway officers participated in executing the search warrants.

"This isn't our baby," he said.

But Fisher noted the two Wooster businesses were not problems locally and WPD did not have calls for suspicious activity there.

The release on the case noted Sarcyk was convicted in May 2013 of money laundering and multiple felony gambling counts. He was discovered to be involved in illegal Internet sweepstakes gambling and the operation of a sports bookmaking ring.

Additional indictments are expected to be presented to the Cuyahoga County grand jury related to the case.

Online court records indicate Sarcyk will be arraigned May 5 in this case.