A Florida couple has been arrested and are now facing hundreds of criminal counts.
Dexter Rhodes,33 his girlfriend Deget Lane,27 face more than 300 counts of illegally setting up, promoting and/or conducting a lottery.
Beginning in April the couple used Facebook to host games on the “Lavish Life Bingo”.
People would pay up to $45 to enter and officers say Rhodes and Lane would use a Bingo app to randomly choose its winners.
The pair would make several hundred dollars in three minutes,and then your prize was usually $500 or less. So they would easily and quickly pocket $500.
Instructions on Facebook would ask its participants to donate via Cash App, Venmo or Zelle.
In order to Bingo u have to have a 501(3)(c) license which they do not have. A lottery is set up much like the lottery you’re familiar with in the State of Florida. It is a profit making machine. Bingo, you’re not allowed to make a profit.
Haines City police officers discovered the activity while monitoring Rhodes online activity because he was out on bond on a narcotics charge at the time.
Rhodes bond was revoked Thursday due to his new charges and he remains in custody.
Lane’s bond was set at $1,000 per count for the lottery charges. She’s charged with 251 counts.
She also remains in custody.
