NEW: Two face gambling charges after 2015 raid on Juno ‘computer’ store – Palm Beach Post

JUNO BEACH

The former owner and co-manager of a Juno Beach internet cafe have been arrested on gambling and other charges, two years after police raided the business and the operation shut down.

Cafe 777 on Donald Ross Road was advertised as an all-in-one computer store, providing copy, print and fax services to its customers. Its owner, Edmund John Salata, reportedly compared the business to Kinkos, the now-closed chain of photocopying centers. However, police investigators observed computer desktops that were set up as gaming terminals, according to the arrest report.

The business also had postings advertising cash payouts to customers, the report said.

Town police took Salata, 57, and Joel Lynn Matthews, 44, into custody Monday on charges of unlawfully keeping a gambling house, promoting a lottery and possessing a slot machine. Matthews was Salatas co-manager, according to court records.

Records show that Salata and Matthews both have homes in the Abacoa section of Jupiter. Salata also has a home in Treasure Island, a beachfront city in Pinellas County. Both were released on their own recognizance Monday.

Their arrests stem from an investigation that began in 2013. Authorities raided the business in April 2015, hauling away more than 60 computers.

Investigators examined a bank account belonging to Salata and Matthews. The account showed a total of nearly $300,000 in deposits from March 2014 to April 2015. All of the deposits for less than $10,000, appearing to evade the banks reporting requirements to federal regulators, authorities said.

The propertys owner filed an eviction against the business shortly after it was raided.

Staff researcher Melanie Mena contributed to this report.

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NEW: Two face gambling charges after 2015 raid on Juno 'computer' store - Palm Beach Post