2 Arrested After Wania Food Mart Gambling Sting

Two Wania Food Mart employees are accused of permitting illegal gambling inside the Pat Mell Road store.

During undercover operations from March 27 to April 4, Marietta-Cobb-Smyrna Narcotics agents who won credit and/or money on the store's electronic gaming machines were paid with cash from the business register.

Employees Admasu T. Wuibshete of Atlanta and Fethi A. Ibrahim of Lawrenceville were captured on audio and video making the illegal payments to the agents, according to a Cobb County criminal warrant.

"Accused provided change of currency for customers to play the machines and then paid off winning machines," an officer wrote in an April 5 warrant.

Gambling for money is illegal in Georgia.

"These machines are akin to slot machines but operate on a touch screen," the officer wrote in the warrant. "These machines were not legal as they were not used for entertainment purposes."

Wuibshete and Ibrahim were arrested Thursday afternoon at Wania Food Mart, according to online jail records. They were booked into the Cobb County Jail on similar charges, including commercial gambling and keeping a gambling place. Commercial gambling is a felony offense.

Both men were released Friday on bonds of $10,000 each.