Illegal Gambling Ring Discovered After Criminal Charges, More People Arrested
Five more men have been arrested in connection with the now infamous Brett Parker illegal gambling ring scandal.
Deputies in Richland County have arrested Gregory McCoy, 43, Ben Yon, 33, Damon K. Johnson, 33, Edward Maracich, 50, and Nathan Chisom, 36. So far, 17 people total have been arrested since the illegal gambling ring was exposed last year. Most of the suspects were arrested the week of March 20th – 12 suspects total.
The arrests have been piling up after a massive illegal sports gambling ring was exposed last May. Brett Parker, who ran the ring, was arrested on murder charges after his wife and one of his bookie employees were found dead in his Irmo home.
Parker will stand trial for the murder charges in May. Meanwhile, South Carolina law enforcement is working hard to round up all the members of the illegal gambling ring.
Last month, a second ring in Lexington, run by a man who helped Parker start his Richland County business, was uncovered. Lanny Ray Gunter, 43, was sentenced to 5 years in prison with 5 years’ probation, and his accomplices Harry Bruce Benenhaley, 66, and Ronald Dale Spence, 61, each sentenced to 5 years’ probation. Gunter’s sentence, however, was reduced because he cooperated with authorities during the investigation of the Parker murder case. He said that Parker told him about an affair, and said that he wanted to end his marriage for four months before his wife and Capnherhurst were killed.
Captain Chris Cowan from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department expects more suspects who worked in the illegal gambling operation will come forward over the next few weeks.
Discovery of the Illegal Gambling Ring
On April 13th, 2012, Tammy Jo Parker, Brett Parker’s wife, and Bryan Capnerhurst, 46, were found shot to death in the Parkers’ upscale home in Irmo.
Parker told police that Capnerhurst came to his house to settle a sports bet, and went upstairs to wait. However, Parker then heard gunshots and ran upstairs to see what happened. He found his wife dead on the floor, and Capnerhurst with a gun. Capnerhurst pointed the gun at Parker, who managed to retrieve a gun from the top of his safe and fired in self-defense.
The coroner’s report states that Capnherhurst and Tammy Parker died of multiple gunshot wounds. Sheriff Lott verified that two guns were used. However, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department redacted their earlier statement about Parker’s version of events, although Parker himself has stuck to his story so far.
Prosecutors from the 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said that Parker stood to collect $1.1 million from an insurance policy if his wife died. They claim he concocted the robbery story.
The Strom Law Firm Defends Against State and Federal Criminal Charges, Including Illegal Gambling Rings
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