Men face gambling charges

Police say owner, employee of smoke shop were paying cash to slot machine players

By Tony Gordon
Daily Herald Legal Affairs Writer
Posted Friday, March 24, 2006

The owner of Famous Cigarette Outlet in Mundelein

and an employee face gambling charges after being

arrested this week for paying cash to players of these

electronic slot machines in the store. The machines were confiscated by authorities

Police said Thursday that some customers of a Mundelein discount cigarette store were coming in for more than a carton of smokes and a disposable lighter.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Dan Shanes said the owner of Famous Cigarette Outlet and one of his employees

face gambling-related charges, for paying cash to players of a slot machine in the store.

Agents of the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group joined Mundelein police Wednesday evening in seizing the machine and taking both men into custody.

Soyab Kagadawala, 48, and Mohammed Rheman, 44, are charged with conspiracy to commit gambling, and face up to five years in prison.

Shanes said an undercover MEG agent went into the store at 815 S. Lake St. on three occasions this month, and each time put $20 into a Cherry Monster electronic slot machine in the store.

The agent played the machine for a short time on each visit, Shanes said, then announced he was finished and received cash from Rheman, of 1544 N. Hoffman Ave., Park Ridge.

The payments were based on the amount of credits the agent had accumulated while playing, Shanes said, and averaged about 20 cents per credit.

Both Rheman and store owner Kagadawala, of 314 Orchard St., Mundelein, were at the store around 7 p.m. when police arrived.

They appeared before Associate Judge Valerie Ceckowski for a bond hearing Thursday morning, and were released on signature bonds.

Both are scheduled to appear in court April 13.