South Texas man accused of running illegal gambling, stealing military equipment
A Corpus Christi man has pleaded guilty to conducting an illegal gambling business and conspiring to steal military equipment, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Nathan Nichols, 46, told officials that he operated an illegal gambling business in Corpus Christi from March 2018 to August 2019 and was conspiring with others to steal sensitive government property from the U.S. Army installation at Ft. Hood in June 2021.
Nichols co-owned Theo's Bar and owned Lady Luck, both of which housed illegal gaming devices like sweepstakes games played on computers and monitors rather than casino-style equipment, a news release stated.
He admitted that he had been in contact with someone who stole military equipment and requested photos of the property before agreeing to buy it. After obtaining the items, he listed them for sale on eBay.
In July 2021, authorities obtained a warrant to search Nichols' home, where they found laser range finders, thermal scopes, night vision scopes, night vision goggles and laser aiming devices.
The property was valued at about $2.2 million.
As part of his plea, Nichols will forfeit about $2.2 million of proceeds from his illegal activity, the release stated. He will be sentenced on June 21 by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos.
Nichols, who will remain in custody pending that hearing, faces up to five years in prison for each conviction.
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Ashlee Burns covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas man accused of illegal gambling, stealing military property
