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Grand jury indicts five as part of FBI investigation into Idaho horse track

By Carolyn Komatsoulis Idaho Statesman

BOISE – A grand jury indicted the five people arrested in what law enforcement said was an illegal horse gambling operation, when several agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, raided an event Sunday at La Catedral Arena in Wilder, Idaho.

The indictment added charges, according to newly filed court records obtained by the Idaho Statesman. Each person had been previously charged with felony prohibition of an illegal gambling business, according to a criminal complaint.

The five people facing charges are as follows:

• Ivan Tellez, 37, of Wilder.

• Samuel Bejarano Colin, 37, of Nyssa, Oregon.

• Dayana Fajardo, 39, of Nyssa.

• Alejandro Torres Estrada, 56, of Buhl, Idaho.

• Cesar Iniguez Orozco, 45, of Meridian, Idaho.

This grand jury indictment also added a charge of transmission of wagering information to Bejarano Colin and Tellez. Bejarano Colin was the bookmaker and administrator of the operation, the FBI alleged in a criminal complaint, and Tellez is the property owner. The FBI said Tellez had a conditional use permit to hold horse races but not a betting license.

The indictment also included criminal forfeiture, which, if convicted, would require them to give up any assets or money obtained because of the crime. The indictment said the five would forfeit items including the land that includes the racetrack La Catedral Arena and $40,000.

Law enforcement arrested Tellez, Bejerano Colin, Fajardo and Torres Estrada at the horse track Sunday, when hundreds of officers, including ICE, showed up for the final event of the year, according to Gov. Brad Little’s office. Iniguez Orozco was arrested on Monday in Meridian, the FBI said.

Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, said ICE also detained 105 “illegal aliens.” An attorney representing some who were arrested told the Statesman that three of her clients legally resided in the U.S. and were also taken by ICE.

Witnesses told the Statesman that children were zip-tied during the raid and separated from their parents. Immigrant rights advocates have questioned the raid’s tactics, saying people were not allowed to see their lawyers and that law enforcement targeted Latino Idahoans.