3 sweepstakes businesses busted, 5 charged

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — At a news conference Friday afternoon, District Attorney Jon David announced the busts of three sweepstakes businesses in the county.

David said at the news conference five people are now facing charges. The suspects have been identified as Brittany Meshaw, Holly Smith, Jeffery Smith, Jeffery Gurganious and Sonya Silvas.

According to an article posted in June 2014 from the Bladen Journal, Jeffrey Smith is a Dublin town council member and member of the Bladen County Planning Board. One of the three businesses mentioned in today’s bust, Aladdin Sweepstakes, was shut down in 2013, according to the article.

Another location involved in the bust was The Lucky Spot in Tar Heel. The Sheriff’s Office served a misdemeanor citation to the clerk running the store at the time the machines were seized.

David said the suspects have since bonded out of jail.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office updated the information given a day after its release.