(Sumter County, FL) Today, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson, alongside Florida Gaming Control Commission Director Carl Herold, announced the shutdown of a major illegal gambling operation that exploited seniors and laundered millions of dollars through fraudulent business activity. The investigation brought forth formal charges against three key defendants.
The investigation began in February 2025 after multiple complaints were made about IL Villagio Senior Entertainment Center in Lady Lake. Citizens described the facility as a “local version of the Hard Rock Casino.” Undercover agents with the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) later confirmed the business was operating as an illegal gambling house with slot-style machines, not licensed games of skill, as county records had indicated.
On July 15, 2025, a search warrant was executed at the establishment, resulting in the seizure of 190 slot machines and $348,221 in cash. A second search at a Marion County warehouse uncovered additional machines.
The investigation revealed that between January 2023 and July 2025, more than $24 million flowed through accounts connected to the illegal enterprise. Much of the money was funneled through shell companies, wire transfers, and overseas accounts. Nearly $3 million went directly into the personal account of the business’s CEO, 44-year-old Rima Ray, of St. Augustine, who reported less than $20,000 annually in income.
Ray was arrested on July 21, 2025, in St. Johns County on money laundering charges. She is now formally charged with:
• RICO (Life Felony)
• Three counts of Money Laundering (First-Degree Felony)
• Keeping a Gambling House (Third-Degree Felony)
• Possession of Slot Machines
Business manager 69-year-old Terrance Morgan, of Ocala, and assistant manager 67-year-old Barbara Buzzard, of Summerfield, were arrested on September 18, 2025, and face the same charges.
“This was a lucrative and highly illegal operation that targeted some of the most vulnerable members of our community—our seniors,” said State Attorney Bill Gladson. “Illegal gambling houses are not harmless entertainment. They open the door to exploitation, financial crimes, and other serious criminal activity.”
The case was a collaborative effort involving the Florida Gaming Control Commission, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Division of Financial Services, and the Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Published on 09/26/2025.