Tucked in an aging strip mall next to a coffee shop and a tax preparer in central San Diego, a clothing alterations shop was running a particularly brisk business.
But expert tailoring wasn’t the draw.
A task force raid in October found evidence of an illegal gambling parlor, with 16 video gaming machines, about $1,700 in cash concealed in drywall, drugs and methamphetamine pipes, according to an FBI search warrant affidavit.
That same night, investigators busted another similar casino, this one just blocks away operating in a unit behind a small house.
The businesses are just two examples of a much larger illicit economy that has infiltrated urban centers and quiet residential neighborhoods throughout California, including San Diego County.
