Florida game shop owner arrested for violating lockdown: deputies

The owner of a Florida gaming shop was arrested for flouting a “safer-at-home” order multiple times while selling collectible card games to customers, authorities said.

Galen Trent Wood, who runs Kitchen Table Games in Pinellas Park, was taken into custody Thursday at his business following multiple complaints that the store was still open despite being a non-essential business subject to lockdown orders, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office announced.

“While conducting the compliance check, deputies observed the business to be open, watched employees interact with customers, and noted Kitchen Table Games to be operating as a non-essential business,” deputies said in a statement.

Investigators had responded to the store, which sells collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering and Dragon Ball Super, after getting tips from the public on several occasions, beginning on April 3. The most recent complaint was filed on Thursday, deputies said.

Wood, 36, received warnings from deputies at least five times and would “become argumentative” with them on each occasion while refusing to shut his doors, authorities said.

Wood again refused to close his business Thursday. He was taken into custody on charges of operating a non-essential business and traveling to operate a non-essential business.

Wood, who was booked into the Pinellas County Jail, was later released after posting $500 bail, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Reached Friday for comment, Wood said he intends to hire an attorney to fight the accusations.

“Oh yeah, 100 percent,” Wood told The Post, claiming that he had only offered curbside deliveries and pickups to customers.

“No one came in the store, besides a few workers. It’s selective enforcement … for some reason they picked on us. I don’t know why … I’m a law-abiding citizen. I still am.”