THIRTY PEOPLE ARRESTED FOLLOWING THREE YEAR INVESTIGATION OF ILLEGAL NUMBERS OPERATION -- GRAND JURY CHARGES SEVEN OF THE DEFENDANTS WITH ENTERPRISE CORRUPTION

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today the indictment of seven people on charges of Enterprise Corruption and gambling offenses in connection with a $10,000,000 dollar a year illegal numbers operation. In addition to the seven people taken into custody pursuant to the indictment, investigators also arrested 23 other individuals during the execution of search warrants at fourteen locations in the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and New Jersey.

Mr. Johnson said the Grand Jury returned a 24 count indictment charging seven of the defendants with one count of Enterprise Corruption, 19 counts of Promoting gambling in the 1st degree, 1 count of Promoting gambling in the 2nd degree and 3 counts of Possession of gambling records in the 2nd degree. Enterprise Corruption is a Class B felony offense punishable by a maximum sentence of up to 25 years imprisonment. Promoting gambling in the 1st degree is a Class E felony offense punishable by a maximum sentence of up to 4 years imprisonment. Promoting gambling in the 2nd degree and Possession of gambling records in the 2nd degree are Class A misdemeanor offenses punishable by a sentence of up to one year in jail.

Mr. Johnson said that a conviction on the charge of Enterprise Corruption would pave the way for the initiation of criminal forfeiture proceedings to seize assets that were acquired with the profits from the illegal numbers operation.

This indictment is the result of a three year joint investigation by the New York City Police Department’s Bronx Vice Enforcement Squad and the Bronx DA’s Rackets Bureau. The undercover investigation, dubbed “Operation Numbers’ Up”, included the extensive use of court ordered wiretaps, visual surveillance, and examination of telephone records.

It is alleged that the nerve center of this criminal enterprise was a policy bank located in a 5th floor apartment at 125 West Tremont Avenue where bets were either transmitted via fax machine or hand delivered by couriers or “number runners”. The runners’ job was to collect policy slips from the dozens of storefront locations where bets were placed (beauty salons, barbershops, bodegas and dry cleaners). It was also the runners’ responsibility to distribute the cash payouts on all winning bets. The operation allegedly also maintained a smaller, secondary policy bank at 49 Cooper Street in the Inwood section of Manhattan where the ring also did business.

Named in the indictment, unsealed this afternoon in State Supreme Court, were the following defendants:

Those defendants taken into custody who were not named in the indictment are also facing gambling related charges. Four defendants are also facing illegal weapon and drug possession charges.

Investigators seized nearly $100,000 in cash, numerous gambling records, including policy slips and tally sheets, telephones, cellular telephones, fax machines, computers, quantities of marijuana and ecstasy, and a .38 caliber handgun. Five vehicles also were seized – a 2002 Nissan Quest Van, a 1996 Jeep Cherokee, a 2002 Toyota Highlander, a 1998 Dodge Caravan, a 1998 Honda Civic, a 1995 Chevy Monte Carlo, and a 1999 Ford Explorer.

District Attorney Johnson thanked members of his staff and the New York City Police Department for their hard work on the investigation; Chief Douglas Zeigler, NYPD Organized Crime Control Bureau, Inspector James O’Neil, Commanding Officer NYPD Vice Enforcement Division, Captain Richard Green, Bronx Vice Enforcement Division, Lt. James Kimmel, Bronx Vice Enforcement Division, Assistant District Attorney Stephen Bookin, Chief, Investigations Division, and Assistant District Attorney Thomas Leahy, Chief, Rackets Bureau.

Mr. Johnson expressed special appreciation for the effort and dedication of Sgt. Eric Finkelstein, Detectives Joanne Tierney, Jose Romero, and Christopher Fleming, NYPD Bronx Vice Enforcement Division, Assistant District Attorney Denise Kodjo, Rackets Bureau, Assistant District Attorney Rachel Singer, Rackets Bureau, and Julio Santiago and David Lasky, Forensic Accountants, Investigations Division.