Massachusetts gambling ring cracked
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A Massachusetts gambling ring that made more than a million dollars a year was effectively shut down by law enforcement officials on Tuesday.
Two dozen search warrants were executed through the state to seize evidence in the case.
According to a story at WCVB Channel 5 out of Boston:
Joined by representatives of the Boston Police Department, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Massachusetts State Police, United States Secret Service, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced the execution of Operation Barbershop — the culmination of a 15-month investigation into an underground gambling ring with franchises in a dozen Massachusetts businesses.
“Make no mistake: This was not a harmless neighborhood lottery or sports book,” Conley said. “It was a gambling enterprise, where the game was rigged in favor of the ring, and it was fraught with violence and corruption. Every dollar that went into this ring was a dollar stolen from the commonwealth and its residents. Not only did its principals deprive the state of tax revenue on more than a million dollars a year, they regularly deprived players of their winnings when it suited their purposes.”
The ring leaders of the operation could face 15 years in state prison on charges of organizing a gambling syndicate.
