Gambling Raids Cause Major Buzz in Hitchcock The usually sleepy town of Hitchcock was wide awake early Thursday(2/19/2026) morning. Many awoke to news that the night before, the city’s mayor had been jailed on illegal gambling charges. On Wednesday (2/18/2026), the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office led an illegal gambling investigation and simultaneous raids at 20 locations across the city netted 30 arrests. Among the arrested was the city’s Mayor Chris Armacost, who is also an assistant superintendent for the Hitchcock School District. There is no indication that Armacost’s arrest is connected to his role as the city’s top elected official. As mayor, Armacost doesn’t have direct control over permits or licenses issued by the city. Instead, his felony charge of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity stems from his ownership of a laundromat that had five slot-machine-like devices called 8-liners. He was among 5 people arrested on that felony charge. The other 25 people arrested face Class A misdemeanor charges of keeping a gambling place or promoting gambling. A few were also face misdemeanor gun charges or drug possession charges. Like other communities, Hitchcock has an ordinance - one that a few years ago the mayor sought to make more stringent. Unlike other communities, licensing and registration are managed by code enforcement, not the police department. The city requires game rooms with 6 or more machines to pay a $5,000 business licensing fee, plus a $1,300 fee per machine. But for places like the laundromat and the multiple convenience stores raided on Wednesday, that have 5 devices or fewer, the fee is only $100 per machine annually. Sheriff’s investigators also served a search warrant at Hitchcock City Hall and questioned city employees. City Manager Marie Gelles issued a statement on Thursday morning saying the city is cooperating with the sheriff’s office investigation. Sheriff Jimmy Fullen has scheduled a press conference for Friday to provide more details on the investigation and the raids, in what appears to be the single largest illegal gambling crackdown in Galveston County since the Texas Attorney General Will Wilson declared a “clean up Galveston” war against illegal gambling that was prevalent from the 1920s through the 1950s. Arrests netted for illegal gambling on 2/18/2026 FELONIES Ernest Alexander Pena 51: Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity Loretta Ann Lee, 65: Poss Cs Pg 2 < 1g (F) and 2) Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity Billy Wayne Baker, 44 San Juana Sanchez, 50: Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity Christopher Evan Armacost, 44: Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity CLASS A MISDEMEANORS Eshae Dajunai Gillis 29: Keeping A Gambling Place Diamonique Joelecia Hill, 36: Keeping A Gambling Plac Douplh Ray Grant, 65: Unl Carrying Weapon and 2) Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity Tyrone Stewart, 26: Keeping A Gambling Place and 2) Unl Carrying Weapon Majid Honarvar, 53: Keeping A Gambling Place and 2) Unl Carrying Weapon Ashraf Mirani, 42: Keeping A Gambling Place Nancy Ann, Landreth, 56: Keeping A Gambling Place Min Bahadur Bk, 42: Keeping A Gambling Place Jamie Lea Williams, 41: Keeping A Gambling Place Qamar Islam, 62: Keeping A Gambling Place Christopher Edward Puryear, 42: Keeping A Gambling Place Natasha Renee Lance, 4: Keeping A Gambling Place Rickie Ryan Langley, 37: Keeping A Gambling Place Naser Fa Malek, 55: Keeping A Gambling Place Roberto Cuellar Garza, 54: Keeping A Gambling Place and 2) Unl Carrying Weapon Suntanna James Touch, 41: Keeping A Gambling Place Morgan Bryce Fiori, 29: Keeping A Gambling Place Akbar Ali Karedia, 62: Keeping A Gambling Place Brenda Odom, Pignataro, 75: Gambling Promotion Andy Cam Luong, 69: Keeping A Gambling Place Haley Elise Saunders, 34: 1) Keeping A Gambling Place and 2) Poss Drug Paraphernalia Rachel Lea Ware, 36: Keeping A Gambling Place Michael Angel Gutierrez, 38: Keeping A Gambling Place Abel Christian Torres, 51: Keeping A Gambling Place, Ayala Juana Caudillo, 62: Keeping A Gambling Place Editor’s note: Those listed were charged and arrested in the community of Hitchcock, and all but a few during the time frame of the raids. All records are from the Galveston County Jail. All names and ages are based on public records. While i45NOW usually doesn’t report on misdemeanor charges, given the nature of the widespread arrests and operation, and the fact that the charges were Class A misdemeanors, they fit our policy for listing public information on those arrested. Anyone listed who successfully has charges dropped or found not guilty, please contact us and we will update this information.

Posted by Connor G i45NOW at 2026-02-20 02:52:21 UTC