BREAKING: VictoryLand Shut Down By Attorney General's Office
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: February 19, 2013
WDHN has learned this morning that VictoryLand has been shutdown by the Attorney General's office.
State troopers are on the scene assisting Attorney General Luther Strange's office in shutting down the bingo hall.
It's the first raid on a bingo hall in the state since Strange's office raided Center Stage Alabama on July 25, 2012. Over $280,000 was taken during the raid of the Houston County entertainment center.
VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor reopened his popular bingo hall in December...just before Christmas. McGregor told WDHN News Director Ken Curtis that he just woke up one morning and decided it was time to put people in Macon County back to work.
Before opening, McGregor's gambling venue had been closed almost two years after Governor Bob Riley's gambling task force made several attempts to raid it and what was formerly known at Country Crossing in Houston County.
Over the two year period, federal corruption charges were brought against McGregor, County Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and numerous state legislators including Senator Harri Ann Smith.
Before the first trial began, three people including Gilley pleaded guilty to charges they attempted to buy votes in the Alabama legislature. After two trials, McGregor and Smith along with every other individual brought to trial were found not guilty.
McGregor quickly made it known after the trial that he would work to one day open VictoryLand again.
State troopers are on the scene assisting Attorney General Luther Strange's office in shutting down the bingo hall.
It's the first raid on a bingo hall in the state since Strange's office raided Center Stage Alabama on July 25, 2012. Over $280,000 was taken during the raid of the Houston County entertainment center.
VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor reopened his popular bingo hall in December...just before Christmas. McGregor told WDHN News Director Ken Curtis that he just woke up one morning and decided it was time to put people in Macon County back to work.
Before opening, McGregor's gambling venue had been closed almost two years after Governor Bob Riley's gambling task force made several attempts to raid it and what was formerly known at Country Crossing in Houston County.
Over the two year period, federal corruption charges were brought against McGregor, County Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and numerous state legislators including Senator Harri Ann Smith.
Before the first trial began, three people including Gilley pleaded guilty to charges they attempted to buy votes in the Alabama legislature. After two trials, McGregor and Smith along with every other individual brought to trial were found not guilty.
McGregor quickly made it known after the trial that he would work to one day open VictoryLand again.
