Swansea man facing illegal gaming charges had faced similar charges in past

Clifford J. Wilson, of Swansea at the time, was the owner of the Lucky Charms Fun Center located in the Swansea Mall when Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the attorney general’s office raided the arcade in June 2013.

FALL RIVER — The office of the Attorney General announced the arrest of six local men indicted in an illegal gambling enterprise last week and one of those facing charges was implicated in a similar scheme in 2013.

Clifford J. Wilson, of Swansea at the time, was the owner of the Lucky Charms Fun Center located in the Swansea Mall when Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the attorney general’s office raided the arcade in June 2013.

The Herald News reported that state police seized unlicensed slot machines that were games of chance as well as cash, computer boards and documents.

The attorney general claimed that Televend Inc. was listed as the arcade's owner with an address of 377 Wilbur Road. Wilson is listed on the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts corporation website at the president, treasurer, secretary and director of Televend.

Police alleged that after an undercover investigator from the Bristol County Sheriff’s Department played one of the video gambling machines months before the raid he received winnings in the form of a prepaid debit card.

A search warrant affidavit connected with the case was filed in Fall River District Court. It’s unclear what transpired with the case. A check with both Fall River Superior Court and Fall River District Court did not show a criminal case against Wilson.

Over the summer between May and June, state police again raided a number of establishments in the area where the casino-like slot machines were seized.

Wilson, along with five other men, are accused of distributing the machines and all face multiple criminal charges.

The other men indicted are Antone Oliveira, 75, of Fall River; John Camara, 59, of Somerset; Natercia Teixeira, 44, of Fall River; Mario Teixeira, 52, of Fall River; and Deodato Faria, 68, of Fall River.

Televend was charged on single counts of keeping a place for registering bets, unlawful operation of a gaming device; money laundering; and three counts of conspiracy.

Attorney General spokesperson Alexander Bradley said on Tuesday that an arraignment date for the six indicted men has not been scheduled. He said he anticipated they will be arraigned in Fall River District Court.

This isn’t the attorney general’s first raid and subsequent indictment in alleged illegal gambling and money laundering schemes.

In June, four Westport residents were indicted for their multi-million Fall River-based gambling machine company. It was the largest illegal gambling ever conducted in the Commonwealth and involving multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies.

The alleged ring leader is Stanley Webb, 62, a former New Bedford police office, and the owner of Nutel Communications.

He was also the stepson of the notorious Donald Webb, who was wanted for years for allegedly gunning down a Pennsylvania police chief in 1980.

His body was found buried in Stanley Webb’s mother’s Dartmouth property in July 2017 after reportedly hiding there for years until his death.

Also indicted in the alleged gambling and money laundering enterprise is Stanley Webb’s daughter, Jaqueline Webb, 35, her husband, Brian Pinheiro, 35, and associate Rome Jones, 47.

Attorney General Maura Healey has been aggressively pursuing illegal gambling related crimes in the South Coast. In 2012, City Councilor Leo Pelletier pleaded guilty to gaming charges related to his Internet café operation in Fall River.

Email Jo C. Goode at jgoode@heraldnews.com