After law enforcement busted an illegal gambling ring operating in Rochester, New York, the alleged members have now been arraigned, a new report reveals. Six out of the seven alleged participants of the illegal gambling operation were arraigned in Federal Court on Friday, 13WHAM revealed.
One of the defendants in the alleged multi-million-dollar illegal gambling operation that was active in Rochester was Louis Ferrari II. He was allegedly involved in illegal poker games, as well as illegal sports wagering via a website called sport700.com.
According to Ferrari’s attorney, Joe Damelio, it is standard for people involved in court trials to be confined within the district they reside. In this case, Ferrari II would need to stay within the 17 county district where he resides. In addition, he had to surrender his passport. Damelio explained that this is also not uncommon when it comes to criminal cases.
Overall, Ferrari II faced multiple felony charges. He was accused of conspiring to operate an illegal retail poker and online sports betting operation. Allegedly, the proceeds from the illegal operation were laundered by Ferrari II via a firm called Ferrari Excavating.
Other defendants in the multi-million-dollar case include Tomasso Sessa, James Civiletti, Joseph Lombardo, Jeffrey Boscarino, as well as Anthony Amato. Reportedly, Civiletti, Lombardo and Sessa were charged with illegal gambling and conspiracy, while Boscarino and Amato also faced charges on Thursday for their alleged participation in the illegal gambling ring. On the other hand, Dominic Sprague, another alleged illegal gambling ring member is due to be arraigned this week.
Investigation Uncovers a Large-Scale Illegal Operation
An investigation into the illegal gambling operation in Rochester claimed that Ferrari II has accumulated some $1.24 million in winnings. On the other hand, Amato is believed to have piled up winnings of nearly $9 million from his alleged participation in the illegal operation.
“During the course of the investigation, investigators intercepted a series of calls and text messages between targets of the investigation, sub-agents and individual bettors discussing the placement of bets, collection of winnings, and payment of losses. The investigation revealed that Ferrari generated $1,241,172 in winnings, while Amato generated winnings totaling $8,945,629,“
explains a statement released by the IRS
The probe into the illegal gambling business uncovered a network that was significant in size. It was back in April 2016 when the illegal betting operation started. Amato is believed to have been in charge of 128 sub-agent accounts that managed the accounts of nearly 1,800 bettors.
The charges and investigation are the result of multiple law enforcement agencies that collaborated together to bring down the illegal gambling operation. It’s important to mention that even if there are charges against the individuals that allegedly participated in the operation, they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.