January 10, 2017
GULFPORT — A manager and employee of a convenience store are facing criminal charges after police said they operated an illegal gambling house and sold drugs at the store.
Gulfport police said they recovered two Vegas-style gambling machines and narcotics from the Joy Food Market at 1005 49th St. S, after executing a search warrant of the store on Tuesday. The warrant was the culmination of a three-month investigation into the store, police said.
Police arrested 55-year-old Ali Sultan, the store manager, and 31-year-old Eric McCallister, an employee. Both face charges of being keepers of a gambling house, while McCallister faces additional charges for the sale and possession of heroin near a church or school.
McCallister has a previous conviction for selling and possessing cocaine and was on probation, police said.
