COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Chapin man has been sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to his role in an illegal gambling operation in Lexington County.
According to court records, James O. Helms, 73, of Chapin, was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in an illegal gambling business.
Evidence presented to the court showed Helms was a partner in a large-scale gambling organization operating in Lexington. An indictment in the case states the video poker operation at times generated up to $100,000 per week. The business operated daily from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and required two shifts of workers to oversee the operation…