Downtown Mini Market employee charged with three counts of commercial gambling

An employee at a downtown convenience store was arrested Tuesday after the Special Operations Unit executed a search warrant at 1344 Broadway, Columbus police said.

Dineshkumar Patel, 52, was taken into custody on outstanding warrants about 2:15 p.m. and charged with three counts of commercial gambling, police said. He is held without bond in the Muscogee County Jail for a 9 a.m. Friday hearing in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Police said the search warrant was executed at the Quick Mini Market & Check Cashing. The store is a popular location for downtown and Phenix City residents to buy lottery tickets and play amusement games upstairs. Players are allowed to win prizes but not cash from the games.

During the search, police seized televisions and other items from the store.

The business remained closed Wednesday, a day after the search warrant was executed.

This story was originally published October 17, 2018 at 2:02 PM.