Resident of Clovis, New Mexico, Charged for Illegal Possession of Slots
John A. Mesner, a resident of Clovis, New Mexico, recently had all his privately held slot machines confiscated by state police. Mesner, 60, was charged by the local authorities with six felonies connected to the possession of several slots and an illegal attempt to sell one slot machine.
Although the New Mexico Court of Appeals recently did legalize the possession of private slots in the state, the ruling comes several months after undercover officials from the New Mexico Gaming Control Board had already seized five slot machines from Mesner’s residence. Moreover, even though Mesner claimed that he only purchased the machines as collector’s items and did not profit form any illegal gaming activities, it was not, by any means, legal to sell the slot machine without a proper license.
Assistant District Attorney, Jennifer Burrill, was reported as saying that Mesner is not entitled to get his slot machines back, as the court of appeal decision came after Mesner was initially charged. In addition, she stated that decisions made by the court of appeals may not be final, since the state could still go to a higher court. However, since Mesner cooperated with the authorities and participated in a pre-prosecution diversion program, all charges against him were dismissed.
