Alfie Oakes arrested at South Florida casino, says the casino is a 'sore loser'
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Naples grocer Alfie Oakes faces a charge of disorderly conduct after an altercation took place at a South Florida casino, officials say.
On Sunday, Oakes, 53, was attempting to cash in casino chips at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, but he refused to provide identification, a Seminole Police Department spokesperson said.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns the casino in Hollywood, which offers guests a selection of 3,100 slots, nearly 200 table games, and a 45-table poker room.
"(Oakes) allegedly attempted to approach security staff in an aggressive manner," Seminole Police spokesperson Gary Bitner told the Naples Daily News. "While being handcuffed, he allegedly tensed and pulled away from officers."
He was booked into Broward County Jail and was released on a $25 bond.
No stranger to controversy
Oakes, a farmer and major food retailer and distributor, is no stranger to controversy – or attention.
When asked for comment, Oakes wrote in an email to the Naples Daily News that the casino was giving him a hard time cashing in chips, but that he was never asked for identification "when they took my cash."
He added, "sore losers! $8700.00 in winnings (minus) $25.00 bond. $8675.00 to the good...still not a bad night."
Previous coverage:
Collier ends months-long legal action against high-profile Naples grocer Alfie Oakes
Federal judge tosses out Naples grocer's lawsuit challenging Collier County's mask order
Collier business owner calls D.C. trip to Trump protests 'amazing,' surrounded by 'great Americans'
The owner of Oakes Farms, Seed to Table, Oakes Farm Market and Food & Thought, Alfie comes from a family of farmers and entrepreneurs.
His grandpa founded the Oakes Farms produce stands decades ago.
His father Frank opened the first Oakes Farm Market in Fort Myers in the 1970s and ran it for a decade, with the help of his children, until relocating the operations to Naples in 1988.
Frank also founded Food & Thought and an all-organic farming business. He died in 2013.
Today, Oakes Farms is a major supplier of fresh produce — and other foods, not just through Alfie's own private retail and distribution channels, but through federal contracts.
He's known for both his success and his strong political and personal views, espoused at public forums and through social media.
Oakes participated in the "Save America March" in Washington, D.C. on the day of the riots at the Capitol — and funded two busloads of local supporters to attend the pro-Trump rally.
He denied any involvement in the insurrection, telling the Daily News after he returned from the rally that protesters were "supporting liberty and freedom." He blamed left-wing activists for the siege on the U.S. Capitol, describing his trip as amazing.
More: Despite criticism and protests, Oakes Farms does big business with federal government
He described COVID-19 as a “hoax”
In 2020, he fought Collier County’s mask order, refusing to follow it in his stores and challenging it in court. He described COVID-19 as a “hoax.”
Related: Naples grocer refiles lawsuit challenging Collier County's mask order
The Lee County School School District ended its food supply contract with Oakes after he declared both the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement as hoaxes and called George Floyd a "disgraceful career criminal." He sued the district over its decision.
A video shot by a reporter showing his customers and employees maskless inside his Seed to Table store in North Naples early last year as COVID raged in Florida went viral on social media, attracting national attention. The farmer's market-inspired destination store spans 75,000 square feet.
In an interview with the Today show, Oakes once described the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance on mask-wearing and the death toll from the virus as "hogwash."
"Why don't we shut the world down because of a heart attack? Why don't we lock down cities because of heart attacks?" he asked the reporter rhetorically.
Oakes also has many supporters
While he's faced many critics, Oakes also has many supporters, who praise him for his work ethic, patriotism and standing up for freedom and the Constitution – and who shop and do business with him because of it.
He continues to expand his multimillion-dollar business, which includes growing, packing and shipping operations around the country.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples grocer Alfie Oakes arrested at South Florida casino
