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14 People, Including College Athletes, Charged in Mob-Run Illegal Sports Betting Operation in N.J.
Fourteen charged in a Lucchese crime family-linked ring that moved $2 million in bets from 2022 to 2024 using college athletes as local sportsbook operators.
- On Nov. 13, New Jersey officials charged 14 people, including Joseph M. 'Little Joe' Perna, 55, of Fairfield, with racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering and gambling offenses linked to the Lucchese crime family.
- In January 2024, a ports inquiry by the Port Investigations Unit of the New Jersey State Police uncovered an offshore gambling website scheme that transferred approximately $2,000,000 in suspected transactions in Essex County and Bergen County.
- Joseph R. Perna, 25, of Oakland, New Jersey, managed daily operations and facilitated dozens of agents including family members and former Rutgers wrestlers Michael Cetta, 23, and Nicholas Raimo, 25, who face racketeering and money laundering charges.
- Several defendants appeared in court Thursday and had first appearances; detention hearings will be scheduled later, with first-degree racketeering carrying 10 to 20 years and a $200,000 fine, and money laundering a $500,000 fine.
- Officials warned illegal gambling persists despite legal betting, as `What started as a local inquiry into suspicious gambling activity at the ports quickly uncovered a far-reaching nationwide network of illegal bookmakers, tied to organized crime,` said Theresa Hilton, and the NCAA is investigating.
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14 charged in NJ multi-million-dollar illegal gambling ring
Authorities in New Jersey charged 14 people with allegedly running a multi-million-dollar illegal gambling operation, the state’s attorney general, Matthew J. Platkin, announced in a press release Thursday. Police say a group of people, including a suspected mob member and his relatives, ran a large illegal betting operation. This gambling ring reportedly involved student athletes, which suggests bets may have been placed on college sports or th…
Busted: Fourteen Arrested in NJ Mafia-Linked Sports Betting Operation Targeting College Gamblers
Fourteen people were charged for their roles in a mob-linked, multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting ring that involved university students and former college wrestlers, New Jersey authorities announced this week.
·United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources38
Leaning Left9Leaning Right7Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution36% Left, 36% Center
Bias Distribution
- 36% of the sources lean Left, 36% of the sources are Center
36% Center
L 36%
C 36%
R 28%
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