A Wisconsin couple were stopped in St. Paul last year with more than $81,000 in cash from illegal college and professional football bets, according to charges filed Thursday.
Cher Thao, 31, and his wife, Nusara Yang, 37, both of Appleton, were charged by the Ramsey County attorney's office with one count each of sports bookmaking.
The couple own an auto repair shop in the 900 block of Atlantic Street in St. Paul that was a front for a large sports betting operation, the complaints said. Acting on a tip, authorities began watching the shop.
"Officers saw cars come and go at all hours of the day and night," the charges said. "Officers noted a paucity of vehicles actually being worked on in the auto repair shop."
Known drug users and dealers allegedly frequented the shop.
According to the complaint: An informant told police that the couple traveled from Wisconsin to St. Paul once or twice a month to pick up large amounts of cash from bets placed on football and basketball games.
On Dec. 3, 2014, they were spotted leaving the auto repair shop and were stopped by police. Authorities found an envelope in Thao's pocket with $12,054 in cash and a piece of paper with information about college and professional football games.
Police found $69,192 in cash in Yang's purse, the charges said.
