Four San Francisco Bay Area Residents Indicted for Conducting Illegal Gambling Business in Sacramento and Elsewhere

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment on Thursday against Yaniv Gohar, 34, of Berkeley, Orel Gohar, 27, of San Francisco, Eran Buhbut, 32, of Oakland, and May Levy, 26, of Walnut Creek, charging them with conducting an illegal gambling business, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between September 2015 and November 2017, the defendants operated a business that involved installing and maintaining video slot machines at smoke shops and convenience stores throughout Northern California, including in Sacramento, in violation of California laws prohibiting such machines.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and California Department of Justice – Bureau of Gambling Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew M. Yelovich and Miriam R. Hinman are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.