United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

ANOTHER DEFENDANT SENTENCED IN EIGHT-LINER CASES

AMARILLO, Texas — Billy Ralph Black, who pled guilty in August to maintaining an illegal gambling business and aiding and abetting, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to 12 months and one day in prison and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Judge Robinson ordered that Black, 68, surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by November 26, 2007.

Black’s co-defendant, Curtis Leon Fowler, 73, pled guilty in late July to the same offense and was sentenced earlier this month to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. Judge Robinson ordered that he surrender to the Bureau of Prisons by October 29, 2007. Co-defendants Melody Skelton Massey and Margaret Ruth Glasscock, each 59, pled guilty to misprision of a felony and are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Robinson on November 5, 2007.

In a separate illegal gambling case, Johnny Earl Shannon, who pled guilty in August to charges related to maintaining an illegal gambling business and aiding and abetting, is also scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2007. His co-defendant, Jerry Don Bone, also pled guilty in August to the same charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 9, 2007.
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According to documents filed in Court, from February 2007 and continuing until July 3, 2007, Curtis Leon Fowler, Billy Ralph Black, Melody Skelton Massey, and Margaret Ruth Glasscock, aided and abetted by each other, and others, conducted, financed, managed, supervised, directed and owned all or part of an illegal gambling business that involved maintaining Eight-liner slot machines.

Defendants Fowler and Black were partial owners of illegal gambling businesses at 3510 SE 11th and 337 E. Hastings in Amarillo. Margaret Ruth Glasscock was half owner of the operation at337 E. Hastings. Black, Massey and Glasscock picked up money from the Eight-liner operations at 337 E. Hastings and 3510 SE 11th every day. Black, Fowler, Massey, and Glasscock shared in the proceeds from the two businesses and some of the income from the illegal businesses was stored at Stout Safe Storage, 2300 W. 7th, Amarillo, Texas.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Potter County Attorney’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christly L. Drake of the Amarillo, Texas, U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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