Ohio man convicted of cheating at church blackjack game

COLUMBUS -- A jury has convicted a sports bookmaker in central Ohio of cheating during a church-sponsored game of blackjack.

Witnesses say 67-year-old Roland Chapa palmed cards from the deck at a fundraiser last July at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Columbus. One witness described seeing a two of spades fall from Chapa's pants when he stood up to empty his pockets.

He was convicted Monday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court of possession of criminal tools and cheating -- a felony because Chapa has a previous conviction for gambling. He faces up to two years in prison when sentenced Aug. 6. According to a search warrant, Chapa told a detective in a separate case last year that he had been a bookmaker for more than 30 years.