A federal grand jury indicted eight people last week for operating an illegal casino in Fort Wayne.
According to court documents, the men are charged with one count of running an illegal gambling business between roughly April 2021 to September 2024.
The indictment lists Rodney Naylor, Bruce Naylor, Chae David Naylor, Jawauna Davis-Parker, Michael Carter, Douglas McKinney, Christian Naylor and Paul Rowan as defendants.
They worked in connection with the Fort Wayne Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, Lodge 155. The organization had a charity gaming license that allowed for three days per calendar week of gambling.
But the indictment accuses the men of running a professional casino operation that illegally paid its workers, failed to donate enough of its net profits and to follow state and federal tax laws.
They are also accused of deceiving the City of Fort Wayne about the business to obtain a zoning variance. They also allegedly operated the casino for about 10 months after the charity license was suspended by the state.
