ELIZABETHTOWN — A former Robeson County deputy who spent 12 years in federal prison for his role in Operation Tarnished Badge was among three people arrested Thursday in Bladen County on illegal gaming operations charges.

Steven Ray Lovin and his son, Steven Mark Lovin, whose ages were not given, are charged with two counts each of gambling, operating video gaming machines and possession of five or more video gaming machines, possessing illegal gaming terminals, operating sweepstakes and promoting, and operating or conducting a server-based game, according to a press release from the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.

Bail was set at $100,000 for Steven Mark Lovin and $50,000 for Steven Ray Lovin.

Also arrested was Cynthia Dawn Duncan of Clarkton. She was charged with the same offenses as the Lovins, the release said. Her bail was set at $15,000.

Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, the Bladenboro Police Department and state Alcohol Law Enforcement seized more than 300 illegal video gaming machines and $10,000 from four businesses, according to the release. The owner of a fifth operation agreed to shut it down.

The Lovins were the owners and operators of 701 Sweepstakes, located at 2673 U.S. 701 North in Elizabethtown.

Other gaming operations that were raided were Klix 211 Arcade, at 4517 N.C. 211 West, and Jewels Sweepstakes, at 10 Seaboard St., both in Bladenboro; and Freddy’s on Elm, at 104 N. Elm St. in Clarkton.

Agents also conducted a “knock-and-talk” at Aladdin Sweepstakes, located at 29 Third St. in Dublin. The owner, Jeffrey Smith, reached an agreement with the Bladen County District Attorney’s Office to close the business and was not arrested.

Steven Ray Lovin was one of three Robeson County deputies indicted in U.S. District Court of Eastern North Carolina in 2006 after a three-year investigation by state and federal authorities into illegal activities, occurring in the Sheriff’s Office. The investigation was called Operation Tarnished Badge and resulted in the arrest of 22 law enforcement officers, including former Sheriff Glenn Maynor.

Lovin was accused of taking part in illegal activities between 1995 and 2004. Those activities included arson, assault, theft of public funds, distribution of controlled substances and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to the indictment, Lovin was involved in 12 individual racketeering acts, including setting fire to two residences and a business, all in Robeson County; giving drugs to confidential informants; using marijuana as a payment for arson; and the theft of $11,000 by assaulting a person.

In 2008, Lovin pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, also known as RICO, and conspiring to commit an offense against the United States with the theft of federal funds, according to U.S. District Court documents.

S.R. Lovin
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Steven-Ray-Lovin.jpgS.R. Lovin

S.M. Lovin
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Steven-Mark-Lovin.jpgS.M. Lovin

Duncan
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_Cynthia-Dawn-Duncan.jpgDuncan

Nancy McCleary

Staff writer

Reach Nancy McCleary at 910-416-5182 or [email protected].