Cops Make 2nd Arrest in Slot Palace Burglary

UPDATE  (June 10, 2008) On June 9^th, St. Mary’s County BCI detectives made a second arrest in the May 28^th burglary and theft from the St. Mary’s Landing Restaurant in Mechanicsville.  Former restaurant employee Sandra M. Carr, 37 years of age, from Mechanicsville Maryland was charged with Conspiring with Chris Michael Sutton to Commit Burglary and Theft, for her role in planning the burglary. She was incarcerated at the St. Mary’s County Detention Center.

Robbers Had Keys to Slot Machine Palace;

Hauled Off Safe without Slot Machine Money

One burglar nabbed, more arrests coming


St. Mary's Landing owner Billy Hill, left, with Frank Moran the Godfather of slot machines in Southern Maryland, owner of Frank Moran and Sons, pose with some of the dozens of slots in the popular restaurant in Charlotte Hall.  ST. MARY'S TODAY photo

CHARLOTTE HALL UPDATE (May 29, 2008)  --  The St. Mary’s Landing Restaurant in Charlotte Hall evidently didn’t have enough hours in the day it was open to satisfy a gang police say entered during the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 28^th and walked off with a safe containing money.

St. Mary’s Landing owner Billy Hill told ST. MARY’S TODAY the robbers were caught on tape and had used a key to get in the popular eating establishment and gambling hall which has been a focus of slot machines in recent months.

Lt. Ricky Burris, commander of the joint investigation team of the Maryland State Police and St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Department investigators reports that Chris Michael Sutton, 41, who has no fixed address, was arrested and charged with the burglary.

Hill said that he did not know Sutton and that Sutton had never worked for him in the restaurant, which, like many other local restaurants and fast food outlets, does employ inmates from the nearby pre-release center at Hughesville, part of the Maryland prison system.  

Police say that Sutton had $700 worth of cocaine in his possession when he was arrested, which is a lot of drugs for someone without a home to call his own.  Sutton was also charged with intent to sell drugs.  Police say the rest of the gang is expected to be nabbed, undoubtedly when Sutton begins naming who they are and where they are hiding.

Hill said that he no longer has control of the money of all of his slot machines, which are back in place at the gambling parlors in his restaurant. 

“The charities that run them take in all the money and just pay rent,” said Hill, who said that the monies from the slot machines were not in his safe.

"This is an example of what States Attorney Richard Fritz and I both testified to in Circuit Court as to why these illegal gambling parlors should not be located in St. Mary's County," St. Mary's Sheriff Tim Cameron told ST. MARY'S TODAY.  "We have more crime connected with these neighborhood gambling centers and the fact that these slot machines were located in this establishment and loaded with money made them a target.  We argued hard to the court to keep them out just for this reason."

Cameron said that Sutton had gotten the key from an employee of the restaurant, with whom he had a relationship.