On Wednesday March 2nd, at about 6 AM, about 75 agents from various law enforcement agencies stormed into the Oaks Card Club. They immediately detained every employee and customer, searched them, questioned them, and eventually sent them on their way. No arrests were made.
Although it was unclear at the time what their intent was, the FBI has now released a statement detailing the purpose of the raid. Fifteen individuals were wanted for various offenses related to racketeering and narcotics, some of whom either worked for or were customers of the Oaks. The full details can be read here.
As a result, the Oaks has been forced to close the doors to their poker room for the first time in decades while an investigation is being conducted. They are optimistic that they will reopen within a few days, and I will be the first to report when that happens. In the meantime, the Oaks Corner restaurant and bar remain open for business.
It should be noted that this is a clear case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch. The specific individuals who were charged with the various crimes were found at their homes or elsewhere and brought into custody. In the meantime, the Oaks has almost 400 employees who are temporarily without work, waiting for the club to reopen so that they can get back to their everyday jobs.
On a personal note, I have known the owners and upper management of the Oaks for over a decade. They are truly some of the nicest and most decent people I know. They strive to run a clean and friendly establishment, and I cannot help but feel for them. It’s unfortunate that these few individuals who may have conducted illegal business on their property have now given the place a black eye. I’m sure everyone in the area looks forward to putting this incident in the past as soon as possible. They are looking forward to a potential reopening on Friday morning, March 11th, at 10:00 AM.
