US EditionNJ Gambling Bust: 14 People Charged in Mob-Tied Sports Betting Ring
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.
24 Articles
24 Articles
College athletes among 14 charged in mob-tied NJ sports betting ring
A group of college athletes are among the 14 people charged in a massive New Jersey sports betting ring linked to organized crime. The enterprise, which allegedly had several college students working as bookies, operated out of Essex and Bergen counties and transferred around $2 million in transactions between 2022 and 2024, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said Thursday. The charges were announced at a press conference, where Attorney G…
Fourteen Charged For Mob-Linked College Sports Betting Scandal
The office of the New Jersey Attorney General announced on Thursday that 14 people have been charged for their role in a massive illegal sports betting ring. The sports betting operation is linked to organized crime, allegedly including members of the Lucchese crime family, according to New Jersey officials."Today we are alleging that a member and associates of the Lucchese crime family were running a sophisticated sports betting operation," sai…
The Gateway Pundit
democraticaccent.comJUST IN: Another Mob-Tied Sports Betting Ring Busted in New Jersey - Scheme Involves Gen-Z Gamblers, Highschool, and College Athletes
Fourteen people, including student athletes, have been indicted in a mob-tied sports betting and illegal gambling ring in New Jersey, the New Jersey Attorney General announced on Thursday. The New Jersey Attorney General’s office identified 55 55-year-old Joseph M. “Little Joe” Perna of Fairfield, New Jersey, as the head of the illegal operation. His sons, stepson, and nephews were also involved in the organized family crime ring, and they were …
14 people under arrest in NJ mob-related sports gambling ring: prosecutors
NEWARK, N.J. (PIX11) -- More than a dozen members of an alleged illegal gambling ring are under arrest, charged with carrying out more than $2 million in illicit bets involving college sports. The arrest, by the New Jersey Attorney General's Office and New Jersey State Police, was in the state with the highest rate of [...]
Organized crime member, relatives face racketeering charges in massive sports gambling scheme
Lucchese crime family member Joseph "Little Joe" Perna and 13 others face racketeering charges and more in an alleged illegal sports betting scheme across multiple states.
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