Staff photo by Fritz Busch
Poppy’s Bar & Play, 300 First Avenue
North is Sleepy Eye, has been closed for
several weeks. Owned by Dane Allen
Burton, 26, of Sleepy Eye, who is accused
of stealing Sleepy Eye Arena Association
gambling funds, the establishment has no
trespassing signs in some of its windows.
Burton faces two felony charges and an
arrest warrant has been issued in Brown
County District Court.
SLEEPY EYE — Two felony charges and an arrest warrant were filed in Brown County District Court March 30 for the 26-year-old owner of Poppy’s Bar & Play, who is accused of stealing more than $7,500 in Sleepy Eye Arena Association charitable gambling funds.
A felony theft charge and unauthorized sale/possession of gambling equipment were filed against Dane Allen Burton, 300 1st Avenue North, Sleepy Eye.
According to court documents, Poppy’s, formerly known as The Railway and Jerry’s, 300 1st Avenue North, has not been open for business since Burton and his ex-girlfriend broke up on or about Feb. 7, 2023. 3ANo trespassing signs were posted on bar windows, snow was not removed from the establishment and no activity was seen at the bar.
Sleepy Eye Arena Association Charitable Gambling Board members contacted Sleepy Eye Police to report Burton was not communicating with them or allowing them access to the bar to obtain charitable gambling money said to be more than $7,500.
Sleepy Eye Police Investigator Shawn Bohnen called Burton’s ex-girlfriend, who said Burton owned the bar, she was general manager, and Burton told a second witness he would blame the missing money on his ex-girlfriend.
She said Burton claims when his ex-girlfriend left on Feb. 7, 2023, she left the bar doors unlocked. Burton’s ex-girlfriend told Bohnen she has not returned to the bar or an apartment above it since moving out Feb. 7, 2023.
Bohnen met with a Sleepy Eye Arena Association charitable gambling board member who said he worked with Poppy’s since the spring or summer of 2022 and that the establishment has five pull tablet boxes and e-tablets (two play tablets and one main tablet).
The gambling board member said he supplied Poppy’s with $7,000 in cash bank for the pull tab games, and charitable gambling would have rights to anything over the cash bank. He said he would not be surprised if there was $10,000 in cash that charitable gambling would have rights to.
Burton’s ex-girlfriend always handled all distributions, he said. The charitable gambling board member said he must have access to the pull tabs and money each month.
Poppy’s has about 10 extra boxes on their premises that would be put in play after a game is pulled. They are worth about $50 each and could be reused at a different site. The charitable gambling board member said the last time he was inside Poppy’s was Feb. 1 and Feb. 3, 2023.
On Feb. 27, 2023, the gambling board member tried to contact Burton and his ex-girlfriend, knocking on both establishment doors, but no one answered. He sent text messages to both people and got no reply. The board member tried calling both people and got a message that said no calls are being accepted.
Bohnen explained the case to Minnesota Gambling Control Board Investigator Brian Holcomb and was told Poppy’s must make gambling funds and equipment available to the charitable gambling board.
On March 13, 2023, Sleepy Eye Police Chief Matt Andres and Investigator Bohnen knocked on Burton’s apartment and bar door but one one answered. A barking dog was heard. The bar door had a circled, hand-written message that read “closed.”
Investigator Bohnen called the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement and talked to Senior Special Agent Jon Anglin who said he felt the case was a clear violation. Special agent Rezny was assigned to the case. He said since the bar is closed and charitable gambling is trying to remove their items, Poppy’s is in possession of contraband.
On March 14, 2023, Sleepy Eye Police got a copy of a letter dated March 13, 2023 the Sleepy Eye Arena charitable gambling board sent to the Minnesota Gambling Control Board informing them Poppy’s Bar and Play on the Railway was forced to cease all gambling operations immediately.
A search warrant was executed at Poppy’s Bar March 27, 2023. The back door of the bar was unlocked. Items seized and secured at the Sleepy Eye Police Dept. included audit paperwork, meat raffle tickets, paid out pull tabs with paperwork, e-tab tablets, a meat raffle paddle wheel, pull tab boxes, pull tab inventory paperwork, a piece of paper with employee e-tab pin numbers, a box with unopened pull tab boxes and torn up e-tab paperwork.