Indian-origin councilman Anand Shah was among 39 people arrested on charges of racketeering, money laundering and other crimes in connection with an illegal betting scheme that reaped over $3 million, news agency AP reported.
The 42-year-old operated illegal poker games and an online sports book, law enforcement, as quoted by Associated Press, said. He will not be charged with official misconduct related to his public office as a council member in the city.
Who is Anand Shah?
Anand Shah, whose family is from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, was a Prospect Park, New Jersey, resident and also a local businessman.
He had owned a franchisee of Papa John’s Pizza and Subway for over 15 years, in addition to 12 other restaurants as well, according to an interview in 2016 that was posted on northjersey.com.
Anand Shah is said to be the first Indian-American to have been elected to the New Jersey borough council from Passaic County.
Why was Anand Shah Arrested?
New Jersey State Police Superintendent Pat Callahan informed AP that the arrests followed a two-year investigation into the Lucchese crime family’s illegal gambling operations by federal and state agents.
Besides Shah, George Zappola, who was a prominent mafia member, had also been arrested.
Authorities found four clandestine poker clubs in Totowa, Garfield, Woodland Park, and Paterson. The machines were warehoused there to run illicit gambling dens.
Illegal Gambling Network and Role of Anand Shah
The online ventures, in which Shah was involved, used different shell companies and other enterprises to disguise profits from gambling.
The operations of the gambling ring involved social clubs that featured poker games and gambling machines. An online sportsbook was run via websites outside the nation.
Managers received “rent,” from poker hosts for allowing the games to take place and managed employees at the clubs.
Among the defendants, a 48-year-old of Indian origin, Samir Nadkarni, 48, of Longwood, Florida, was also arrested. He was charged for working as a sportsbook sub-agent and poker host.
