Husband and wife among 4 arrested in undercover illegal gambling bust in Hialeah, cops say

A husband, his wife and her mother were among four people arrested in an undercover bust of a Hialeah business involved in illegal gambling and money laundering, authorities said.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol had launched the investigation this past October into Royal Arcade Corp. at 5440 W. 16th Avenue, arrest reports said.

According to the reports, detectives made multiple undercover visits to the business to gamble and found 60-plus electronic gaming machines inside.

On Wednesday, deputies and troopers executed a search warrant at the business and arrested the owner, 43-year-old Reyson Morales Monroy, and three people who were working there, including his wife and mother-in-law.

Financial records showed Monroy’s reported earnings from the arcade for 2025 were $43,000, which was inconsistent with bank records showing deposits of over $926,000 and withdrawals of over $1 million, the reports said.

Investigators said Monroy made cash deposits at multiple bank branches to avoid triggering mandatory reporting thresholds.

Monroy is facing charges including money laundering, gambling, bookmaking, keeping a gambling house, and possession of a gambling device.

His wife, 42-year-old Elaine Moreno-Noa, her mother, 61-year-old Carmen Noa-Pantaleon, and an employee, 29-year-old Cary Eliany Duenas-Villaverde, face charges including gambling, bookmaking, keeping a gambling house, and possession of a gambling device, records show.