Two People Charged for Keeping an Illegal Gaming House.
For Immediate Release: March 11, 2025
Two People Charged for Keeping an Illegal Gaming House.
Two people have now been charged after The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia’s (CFSEU-BC’s) Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team (JIGIT) conducted an investigation into an alleged illegal gaming house.
In early 2022, JIGIT started an investigation into the “Big Shots Café” after receiving information that there was illegal gaming taking place at this Café located in the 3900-block of Hastings Street E, in Burnaby. This Café was also investigated in 2019 for the same alleged offence. (See previous media release here).
JIGIT conducted a thorough investigation which led to the approval of a search warrant for the Cafe that took place in July 2023. The officers arrested ten individuals at the Café and one at his residence. The following items were seized from the Café:
- Four Video Lottery Terminals ((VLTs, commonly known as slot machines). Three of the VLTs were determined to be functioning, and two of the VLTs had money inside.
- Poker chips;
- Ledgers; gaming table;
- Cards, and other gaming paraphernalia;
- Approximately $14,000 in cash;
- DVR and multiple cell phones.
JIGIT investigators processed all seized exhibits and submitted the report to Crown Counsel for charge approval.
On March 10, 2025, Crown Counsel approved charges on two suspects. 62-year-old Francisco Batista PIRES of Vancouver and 60-year-old Angelo Giuseppe FREDA of Burnaby have been charged with one count each of Keeping a Common Gaming House. An appearance notice was issued for both accused to appear in court at a later date.
“An illegal gaming house can fuel a cycle of crime that harms individuals, destabilizes communities, and strengthens organized crime networks by providing them with both a financial base and a pool of vulnerable individuals to exploit”, says Cpl. Sarbjit K. Sangha, Media Relations Officer at CFSEU-BC.
CFSEU-BC would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance with this investigation: the Integrated Emergency Response Team, Uniform Gang Enforcement Team and Burnaby RCMP.
CFSEU-BC’s JIGIT enters into investigations adhering to its mandate as follows;
To provide a dedicated, integrated and coordinated multi-jurisdictional investigative and enforcement response to illegal gaming in BC with an emphasis on top-tier organized crime and gangs. These crimes include money laundering; corruption and infiltration; loan-sharking and predatory lending; internet gaming; video gaming machine and device distribution; offshore lottery schemes; high-limit card rooms and underground casinos; and sophisticated bookmaking operations.
Cpl. Sarbjit K. Sangha – RCMP
Media Relations Officer
Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – British Columbia
Desk:778-290-2126
Cell: 236-558-0441
