Californian casino under investigation for money-laundering

Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens has reopened following a 20-hour raid which was conducted by federal agents. The Times was told by law enforcement officials that the agents seized thousands of financial records as part of a money-laundering investigation.

The raid was led by members of the Los Angeles High Intensity Financial Crime Area Task Force, including investigators from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the California Department of Justice’s bureau of gambling control and the U.S. attorney’s office.

The investigation will scrutinise whether individuals used the club to launder funds by placing bets with illegal tender before exchanging their chips for clean cash, according to news sources.

Virginia Kice, an ICE spokeswoman, commented that a “search warrant issued by a United States magistrate judge was filed under seal in relation to an ongoing investigation.”

A representative of the casino told the media: “We are serving our customers and resuming normal operations immediately. Our priority is to provide a safe and fun environment for our guests."

The representative said that the casino’s management team was "cooperating with authorities" but declined to comment further.