Fountain Valley police arrest seven in illegal gambling establishment

Fountain Valley police announced Wednesday they had arrested seven individuals in relationship to an illegal gambling establishment at a residence on the 9100 block of Caladium Avenue.

Those seven individuals were arrested on gambling charges in addition to resisting a peace officer, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance while armed and for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

At least five of the seven are convicted felons, police said.

Some were released from the scene with citations, but others were booked into county jail, according to Fountain Valley Police Department spokesman Sgt. Donald Farmer.

Those booked into county jail are Tyler Nguyen, 34, of Westminster; Tu Tran, 39, of Midway City; and Juan Onate, 22, of Santa Ana.

A loaded 9 mm handgun located at the illegal gambling establishment in Fountain Valley.

(Courtesy Fountain Valley Police Department)

It is not clear when the three will appear in court. All three have been released from custody, according to jail records Thursday.

Farmer said that investigators from the Fountain Valley Police Department Crime Suppression Unit learned several months ago of the property.

Details of that investigation were not released, but police said that it eventually led to a search warrant served on Aug. 19 with the assistance of the West County SWAT Team.

Discovered during the search were four operating gambling machines, body armor, a loaded handgun and what was described as a large amount of methamphetamine. Also found was $10,000 in cash, which police believe are proceeds from the illegal gambling.

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