Police seize poker machines Eight units found in storage space on 11 th Street

Chattanooga police confiscated eight poker machines Thursday from a local restaurant owner who told authorities she was storing them for someone else.

Knowingly possessing a gambling device regardless of its ownership is a misdemeanor offense in Tennessee and is punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine, records show.

Darlene Fairchild, 54, was cited for illegal possession on Thursday afternoon after police found the machines in a storage facility next to her business, Market Restaurant, on East 11th Street.

Ms. Fairchild rents the storage area from the city of Chattanooga, according to police. Officers were tipped off when a city employee arrived to show the building and found the machines inside.

According to Hamilton County court records, Ms. Fairchild was convicted of the same offense in May 2004 and of gambling the month before that. She was fined $50 for the possession and $25 for the gambling charge, records show.

Ms. Fairchild declined comment and remained inside the restaurant Thursday as city public works employees hoisted the machines from the neighboring building into a large truck.

She signed a consent form allowing police to search the machines for money, officers said.

It was unclear Thursday afternoon exactly how much, if any, money was inside the machines, though police said they believed they would find at least "a little."

After a gambling device has been forfeited to the state, Tennessee code states that the court handling the related possession charge will order that it be destroyed unless the district attorney petitions for a different course of action.

The possession of gambling equipment is widespread in Chattanooga, according to police, and seizures of illegal machines tend to occur weekly.