Petitioner: DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION, DIVISION OF PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING
Respondent: RONALDO FRANCISCO ABALLI
Judges: MARY LI CREASY
Agency: Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Locations: Miami, Florida
Filed: Jun. 25, 2019
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Thursday, September 5, 2019.
Latest Update: Nov. 16, 2024
FILED
Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Deputy Agency Clerk
CLERK Evetle Lawson-Proctor
Date 5/15/2019
STATE OF FLORIDA File #
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION
DIVISION OF PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND
PROFESSIONAL REGULATION,
DIVISION OF PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING,
Petitioner,
vs. DBPR Case No. 2018-059848
ROLANDO FRANCISCO ABALLI,
Respondent.
/
ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Pari-Mutuel
Wagering (“Petitioner”), files this Administrative Complaint against Rolando Francisco Aballi
(“Respondent”) and alleges:
1. Petitioner is the state agency charged with regulating pari-mutuel wagering, slot
machines, and cardroom operations pursuant to chapters 550, 551, and section 849.086, Florida
Statutes.
2, At all times material hereto, Respondent was a patron of Casino Miami Jai-Alai
(“Casino Miami”).
3. At all times material hereto, Casino Miami was a facility operated by a
permitholder authorized to conduct pari-mutuel wagering and operate slot machines in the State
of Florida.
4. At all times hereto, Respondent’s address was reported as 1330 West 26" Place,
Apartment 11, Hialeah, Florida 33010.
5. On or about June 11, 2017, Respondent conspired with, solicited, aided, abetted,
counseled, hired, or procured another person to knowingly exclude, or take any action in an
attempt to exclude, anything of value from the deposit, counting, collection, or computation of
revenues from slot machine activity.
6. On or about June 26, 2018, Respondent was ejected and permanently excluded
from Casino Miami.
COUNT I
7. Petitioner realleges and incorporates the allegations contained within paragraphs
one through five as though fully set forth herein.
8. Section 551.109(3), Florida Statutes, imposes criminal liability on an individual
for tampering with a slot machine, providing:
Any person who knowingly excludes, or takes any action in an
attempt to exclude, anything of value from the deposit, counting,
collection, or computation of revenues from slot machine activity,
or any person who by trick, sleight-of-hand performance, a fraud
or fraudulent scheme, or device wins or attempts to win, for
himself or herself or for another, money or property or a
combination thereof or reduces or attempts to reduce a losing
wager in connection with slot machine gaming commits a felony of
the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083,
or s. 775.084.
9. Rule 61D-14.090, Florida Administrative Code, provides “[n]o person shall
conspire with, solicit, aid, abet, counsel, hire, or procure any other person or persons to engage in
a violation of chapter 551, F.S., or chapter 61D-14, F.A.C., nor shall he or she commit any such
act on his or her own.”
10. Based on the foregoing, Respondent violated Rule 61D-14.090, Florida
Administrative Code, by conspiring with, soliciting, aiding, abetting, counseling, hiring, or
2018-059848 Page 2 of 5
procuring any person to engage in a violation of section 551.109(3), Florida Statutes, or by
committing such an act on his own at Casino Miami on or about June 11, 2017.
COUNT II
11. Petitioner realleges and incorporates the allegations contained within paragraphs
one, three, and six as though fully set forth herein.
12. Section 551.112, Florida Statutes, provides:
In addition to the power to exclude certain persons from any
facility of a slot machine licensee in this state, the division may
exclude any person from any facility of a slot machine licensee in
this state for conduct that would constitute, if the person were a
licensee, a violation of this chapter or the rules of the division. The
division may exclude from any facility of a slot machine licensee
any person who has been ejected from a facility of a slot machine
licensee in this state or who has been excluded from any facility of
a slot machine licensee or gaming facility in another state by the
governmental department, agency, commission, or authority
exercising regulatory jurisdiction over the gaming in such other
state. This section does not abrogate the common law right of a
slot machine licensee to exclude a patron absolutely in this state.
(Emphasis supplied).
13. Based on the foregoing, Respondent is subject to permanent exclusion from all
licensed slot machine facilities in the State of Florida based on his ejection from Casino Miami
on or about June 26, 2018.
COUNT III
14. Petitioner realleges and incorporates the allegations contained within paragraphs
one, three, and six as though fully set forth herein.
15. — Section 550.0251(6), Florida States, provides in relevant part:
In addition to the power to exclude certain persons from any pari-
mutuel facility in the state, the division may exclude any person
from any and all pari-mutuel facilities in this state for conduct that
would constitute, if the person were a licensee, a violation of this
2018-059848 Page 3 of 5
chapter or the rules of the division. The division may exclude
from any pari-mutuel facility within this state any person who has
been ejected from a pari-mutuel facility in this state or who has
been excluded from any pari-mutuel facility in another state by the
governmental department, agency, commission, or authority
exercising regulatory jurisdiction over pari-mutuel facilities in
such other state.
(Emphasis supplied).
16. Based on the foregoing, Respondent is subject to permanent exclusion from all
licensed pari-mutuel facilities in the State of Florida based on his permanent exclusion from
Casino Miami on or about June 26, 2018.
WHEREFORE, Petitioner respectfully requests the Division Director enter an Order
permanently excluding Respondent from all licensed pari-mutuel and slot machine facilities in
the State of Florida along with any other remedy provided by chapters 550, 551, and 849, Florida
Statutes, and/or the rules promulgated thereunder.
This Administrative Complaint for DBPR Case Number 2018-059848 is signed this 14th
day of May, 2019.
[sf Jett Baumann [s/ James A. Lewts
JETT BAUMANN JAMES A. LEWIS
Assistant General Counsel Deputy Chief Attorney
Florida Bar No. 122159 Florida Bar No. 1002349
Jett. Baumann@MyF loridaLicense.com James.Lewis@MyF loridaLicense.com
Office of the General Counsel
Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering
Department of Business and Professional Regulation
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2202
Telephone: (850)-717-1585
Facsimile: (850) 921-1311
2018-059848 Page 4 of 5
NOTICE OF RIGHTS TO REQUEST A HEARING
Pursuant to sections 120.569 and 120.57, Florida Statutes, you have the right to request a
hearing to challenge the charges contained in this Administrative Complaint. If you choose to
request a hearing, you will have the right to be represented by counsel, or other qualified
representative, to present evidence and argument, to call and cross-examine witnesses, and to
have subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum issued on your behalf.
Any request for an administrative proceeding to challenge or contest the charges
contained in this Administrative Complaint must conform to Rule 28-106.2015, Florida
Administrative Code. Pursuant to Rule 28-106.111, Florida Administrative Code, you must
request a hearing within 21 days from receipt of this Notice, or you will waive your right to
request a hearing. Please be advised that mediation is not available in this proceeding.
Mediation under section 120.573, Florida Statutes, is not available to resolve this
Administrative Complaint.
2018-059848 Page 5 of 5
Docket for Case No: 19-003426
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Sep. 06, 2019 |
Transmittal letter from Claudia Llado forwarding Petitioner's Proposed Exhibits to Petitioner.
|
Sep. 05, 2019 |
Order Closing File and Relinquishing Jurisdiction. CASE CLOSED.
|
Sep. 04, 2019 |
Petitioner's Response to this Court's Order Dated August 14, 2019 and Motion for Relinquishment of Jurisdiction filed.
|
Sep. 03, 2019 |
Order Rescheduling Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for October 18, 2019; 9:00 a.m.; Miami and Tallahassee, FL).
|
Aug. 26, 2019 |
Petitioner's Unilateral Response to Order Requiring Dates for Hearing filed.
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Aug. 14, 2019 |
Order Compelling Responses to Discovery (parties to advise status by August 26, 2019).
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Aug. 14, 2019 |
Petitioner's Proposed Exhibits filed (exhibits not available for viewing). |
Aug. 13, 2019 |
Petitioner's Witness and Exhibit List filed.
|
Aug. 13, 2019 |
Petitioner's Renewed Emergency Motion for Order to Show Cause and Motion for Continuance of Final Hearing filed.
|
Aug. 08, 2019 |
Order Denying Emergency Motion for Order to Show Cause and Motion for Continuance of Final Hearing.
|
Aug. 08, 2019 |
Petitioner's Emergency Motion for Order to Show Cause and Motion for Continuance of Final Hearing filed.
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Jul. 08, 2019 |
Petitioner's Notice of Serving First Interlocking Discovery Request filed.
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Jul. 05, 2019 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
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Jul. 05, 2019 |
Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for August 20, 2019; 9:00 a.m.; Miami and Tallahassee, FL).
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Jul. 01, 2019 |
Petitioner's Unilateral Response to Initial Order filed.
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Jun. 25, 2019 |
Initial Order.
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Jun. 25, 2019 |
Election of Rights filed.
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Jun. 25, 2019 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
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Jun. 25, 2019 |
Agency referral filed.
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