North Carolina Police Allege Illegal Gambling Operation Shared Church Building

Posted on: October 31, 2025, 10:48h. 

Last updated on: October 31, 2025, 11:02h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Police raided an alleged illegal gambling operation in Kings Mountain
  • The alleged unlawful casino shared a building with a church
  • North Carolina doesn’t permit commercial casinos

Police in Kings Mountain, NC allege an illegal gambling operation occupied part of a building shared by a church.

North Carolina illegal gambling Kings Mountain
Google Maps Street View shows 402 E. King St. in Kings Mountain, NC, where police allege an illegal gambling operation offered unlawful slot machines. Two people have been charged with running the enterprise called Lucky Teeter’s. (Image: Google Maps)

The Kings Mountain Police Department (KMPD), in coordination with the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security Investigations, recently executed a search warrant at a business known as “Lucky Teeter’s.” The business is located at 402 E. King St. in Kings Mountain.

Law enforcement detailed that the search resulted in the seizure of 53 illegal gambling machines, along with an undisclosed amount of US cash. Brian Deion Lamerrel Mobley, 28, of Gastonia, and Natilya Nashaentya Shabrea Stewart, 21, of Harrisburg, were arrested and charged with running the unlawful gambling operation. The KMPD release stated that Mobley is a “Black male” and Stewart is a “Black female.”

The probe into Lucky Teeter’s, police revealed, has been ongoing for three months.

Community Tips 

Kings Mountain police said the search warrant was obtained after law enforcement received several tips from community members suspecting that illegal gambling was occurring inside the brick building along King Street.

The multiunit building is shared by the Crimson Timbers Church, which relocated to the address 402A E. King only in March. A salon is another tenant at 402 E. King.

Lucky Teeters is about four miles northeast of the Two Kings Casino, a legal tribal casino. Casino gambling in North Carolina is limited to tribal gaming.

Earlier this week, the Catawba Nation topped off its 24-story hotel tower at its under-construction permanent Two Kings Casino Resort adjacent to the temporary gaming structure. The tribe is investing $1 billion through a development with partner Delaware North.

North Carolina is home to two other tribal casinos. Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River are owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The KMPD says the Lucky Teeters raid is an ongoing investigation. The public is encouraged to provide additional tips or information about the operation by calling 704-734-0444. Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Cleveland County Crime Stoppers or by calling 704-481-TIPS.

In North Carolina, a person found guilty of operating illegal gambling generally faces a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in prison. Subsequent and more serious offenses can be elevated to felony charges, which carry five-year imprisonment terms.

Not So Lucky Business

Lucky Teeter’s didn’t exactly hide its presence. A sign with “lucky” in green and “teeter’s” in black was prominently displayed.

North Carolinians are rather familiar with “teeter,” as the grocery chain Harris Teeter was founded in Mooresville almost seven decades ago. Harris Teeter remains headquartered in North Carolina, though it is today owned by Kroger.

Harris Teeter was founded in 1960 by William Harris and Willis Teeter. The two entrepreneurs joined their respective businesses they opened during the Great Depression: a drugstore called Harris Drugs and the Teeters Food Mart.