ADF group seeks renewal of bingo license

Friday, July 3, 2009

Maryland's attorney general earlier challenged a claim by ADF. Community Outreach Foundation that it is qualified to have the permit, noting that the organization "has previously been advised that further investigation concerning its application for a bingo license was required."

The foundation's lawsuit filed last winter states that Alice Gaskin, its president, submitted the gaming license application to Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron (R) last October, and an emergency petition recently filed in court includes Gaskin's affidavit stating the an existing bingo license issued to the St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary was set to expire earlier this week.

Gaskin wrote that unless ADF Community Outreach is granted a separate bingo license, the hospital auxiliary and seven other charities "will be injured and suffer a significant reduction of funds."

St. Mary's detectives filed an affidavit in the spring of 2008 alleging that there were conflicting accounts of who was getting the proceeds from gambling machines at the ADF Bingo facility in Mechanicsville, and the law officers seized 64 machines and business ledgers. FBI agents raided the facility again last February, and a lawyer for proprietor Sharon L. Modlin said at that time that more of the same kind of machines and books were seized.

No charges have been filed from that investigation.

jwharon@somdnews.com