Man Charged in Robbery of Illegal Poker Den Run by Elderly Women

The robbery of an illegal video poker parlor run by senior citizens was captured by surveillance cameras and led to the arrest of a Gastonia, North Carolina man.

Ralph Delane Cunningham Jr., 40, was booked on a number of charges that included robbery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, burglary, and conspiracy to commit robbery for barging into the gambling hall near Cherryville, North Carolina in late March while brandishing a gun and making off with $2,000 in cash.

The poker parlor was in the basement of the home of Jerry Shepherd, 71, who told the Gaston Gazette that she continues to have nightmares over the incident. Shepherd claims that her father was a murder victim long ago and that the robbery has dredged up some of those bad memories.

A Video Poker Senior Center

Shepherd's gambling den was equipped with four video poker machines and most of her clientele were apparently senior citizens. Shepherd admitted as much to police, but not until after the video poker machines were removed by the vendor, who had heard about the robbery.

The police were also not summoned until Shepherd determined how to access the video footage that identified the alleged robber. That robber, Cunningham, allegedly had an accomplice named Detra Latoshia Tate, according to the Charlotte Observer.

The accompanying video is lacking in clarity, but Shepherd was apparently thrown to the ground after Cunningham put the gun to her head. Shepherd also claims that the gunman attempted to steal a $10K diamond ring from a 73-year-old patron, but was thwarted by pepper spray.

Police believe that the advanced ages of both the poker room's owners and its clientele made them ripe targets for the robbers. Also a factor was the amount of cash on hand.