| TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram and
Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a Philadelphia man was sentenced
today for his role in running a sports bookmaking
ring that operated inside the Borgata Hotel
Casino poker room.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Anthony Nicodemo,
37, of Philadelphia, was given a four-year
suspended sentenced by Superior Court Judge
Michael A. Donio, who gave him credit for
the 89 days he has served in the Atlantic
County Jail. He also was ordered to pay a
$10,000 criminal fine. The state had recommended
that he be sentenced to three years in state
prison.
Nicodemo
pleaded guilty on Jan. 6 to second-degree
conspiracy to promote gambling and launder
money. In pleading guilty, he admitted that
he was involved in a conspiracy to commit
gambling offenses and possessed or transported
gambling proceeds
The
charge resulted from Operation High Roller,
an investigation led by the State Police and
the Division of Criminal Justice which involved
the assistance of 11 other law enforcement
agencies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Deputy
Attorney General Kerry DiJoseph is prosecuting
the case for the Division of Criminal Justice
Major Crimes Bureau - Casino Prosecutions
Unit.
On
Feb. 27, the two top leaders of the gambling
ring, Jack Buscemi Jr., 51, of Mullica Hill,
and Andrew Micali, 33, of Ventnor, were each
sentenced to five years in state prison by
Judge Donio. The investigation revealed that
Buscemi was the boss and Micali controlled
day-to-day operations of the ring, which took
in more than $60 million in bets in 20 months.
In
December, Buscemi pleaded guilty to second-degree
conspiracy to commit money laundering, and
Micali pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal
usury. Buscemi was ordered to pay a total
of $20,000 in fines and forfeit approximately
$30,000 in assets, while Micali was ordered
to forfeit $125,000 in cash seized in the
investigation.
The
ring was shut down in November 2007, when
more than 20 people were arrested. The investigation,
which began in March 2006, revealed that Micali
relied on a network of agents to take in millions
of dollars in bets on college and professional
football and basketball. Micali, and Buscemi
received a percentage of the gambling proceeds
collected by the agents.
Nicodemo,
Buscemi and Micali were indicted on April
10, 2008, along with 21 other defendants.
Fifteen of the other defendants have pleaded
guilty, and 13 have been sentenced by Judge
Donio. Nine received sentences of three years
of probation, conditioned on serving jail
terms ranging from 90 days to 364 days. Three
other defendants received terms of probation
without jail time, and one received a suspended
sentence. Sentences are pending for two defendants.
The
investigation was led by State Police Detective
David Feldstein and his unit, the State Police
Casino Unit. The lead investigator for the
Division of Criminal Justice was Sgt. Ronald
Rozwadowski. The Division of Gaming Enforcement
also assisted.
Attorney General Milgram credited these agencies
for conducting and assisting in the investigation:
-
New Jersey State Police Casino Unit
-
New Jersey State Police Organized Crime
Control Bureau South
-
New Jersey State Police Digital Technology
Investigation Unit
-
New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice
-
New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
-
Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General
- Organized Crime Section
-
Ventnor City P.D.
-
Margate P.D.
-
Harrison Township P.D.
- Sea
Isle City P.D.
- Galloway
Township P.D.
- Brigantine
P.D.
- Egg
Harbor Township P.D.
- Franklin
Township P.D.
- Philadelphia
Bureau of Narcotics Investigation
- Borgata
Security Department
- Borgata
Surveillance Department
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