Six Arrested in Forsyth County Gambling Bust

Six persons have been arrested and charged in connection with operating commercial gambling establishments at two different convenience stores in Forsyth County, according to the .

Sheriff Ted Paxton said two different investigations began in April after anonymous tips were received by the sheriff’s office. The Criminal Investigations Division that led to the arrests initiated those investigations.

In the first establishment, the , individuals who went into the store and played the video gaming machines were receiving cash payouts for their winning credits.

“We executed a search warrant at the store and seized approximately $6,500 in cash and made three arrests,” said Sheriff Paxton.

The people arrested in the first gambling bust are Srinivas Varaganti, 44, of Moor Pointe Drive in Cumming, Assistant Store Manager Prakashbhai Patel, 51, of Fairhaven Circle in Atlanta, and Maria De Leon, 38, of Aaron Sosebee Road also in Cumming.

All have been charged with one count of commercial gambling.

In the second investigation, Sheriff Paxton said undercover operations were conducted over the course of a month at the . During that time period, on three different occasions, an informant was paid out in cash, alcohol and lottery tickets from proceeds won on several video poker machines.

“We also made three arrests during this operation and was closed prior to us being able to execute the search warrant,” said Paxton.  

Arrested and charged in this investigation were the owner of the business, Allauddin Panjwani, 57, and his son, the manager, Javed Panjwani, 32, both of Havenstone Walk in Lawrenceville.

Both have been charged with one count of commercial gambling.

Since their arrests, all five suspects have been released from the  on an $11,110 bond and are scheduled to appear in Superior Court on May 30.

Also arrested was Manuel Ramirez, 26, of Samaritan Drive in Cumming. He was a clerk at the Country Corner Shell and was charged with two counts of commercial gambling in addition to having two outstanding warrants. One is for failing to appear on a DUI charge in 2007 and the other a probation violation in 2008. He remains incarcerated at the Forsyth County Detention Center.