Rhode Island gambling bust

[Wiseguy]

Warwick Men in Internet Gambling Sweep
by Rob Borkowski
April 12, 2016


Warwick, R.I. — State Police arrested 17 men on charges relating to the management of a criminal internet gambling organization, six from Warwick, and searched The Cozy Grill restaurant on Warwick Avenue Tuesday.

The arrests are the result of an eight (8) month investigation lead by members of the State Police Intelligence Unit and the Rhode Island Attorney General.

This morning several local police departments executed arrest warrants and search warrants, including the State Police, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Providence Police, Warwick Police, Cranston Police, Scituate Police, North Providence Police, Narragansett Police, East Providence Police, West Warwick Police, Johnson Police, Lincoln Police, Central Falls Police, East Greenwich Police, Woonsocket Police and Newport Police.

State Police Lt. Colonel Todd Catlow said State Police searched the Cozy Grill Restaurant at 440 Warwick Ave. this morning as part of the investigation, which also included a search of a Narragansett home. Catlow declined to explain how the search of the restaurant figured into the investigation, because it is continuing, he said.

The following is a list of subjects who were arrested today and the charges pending:

Thomas J. Pilderian, 45, of 55 Pine Ridge Road, Cranston, charged with :1) Bookmaking, 2.) Organized Criminal Gambling, 3.) Conspiracy.

Mark B. Battista, age 39, of 400 Narragansett Parkway, Warwick, charged with: Bookmaking, Organized Criminal Gambling, Conspiracy, and Possession of Controlled Substance – 3 counts.

Mark V. Marinaro, age 43, of 11 Winward Circle, Warwick, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, Conspiracy.

Jason M. Pilderian, 39, of 25 Talbut Road, Scituate, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, and Conspiracy.

Joseph R. Brunelle, 38, of 12 Palm St., North Providence, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy

Eric D. Glaude, 40, of 35 Marigold Circle, North Providence, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy.

Dustin R. Sears, 40, of 40 Braeburn Circle, Cranston, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, Conspiracy

David J. Disano, 42 of 83 West Hill Drive, Cranston, charged with Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy
Jonny E. Lubo, 44, of 111 Wunnegin Circle, Warwick, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy.

James J. Petrella, age 31, of 26 Beach Row, Narragansett, Bookmaking, 2.) Organized Criminal Gambling, 3.) Conspiracy.

Timothy J. Moretti, age 46, of 1710 Phenix Avenue, Cranston, charged with: Bookmaking, Organized Criminal Gambling, Conspiracy, Violation of Probation for prior convictions of Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine and Possession of 1 ounce to 1 kilogram of Cocaine.

Sean W. Furney, age 24, of 48 Roosevelt Street, Warwick, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy.

Brian K. Cipolla, age 48, of 178 Council Rock Road, Cranston, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy.

Lewis Silveira, age 50, of 154 North Street, Warwick, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy

John Depietro, age 41, 39 Prospect Avenue, South Kingstown, charged with: Possession with intent to deliver 1 to 5 kilos of marijuana, Possession of 1 to 5 kilos of marijuana, Possession of Adderall with intent to deliver.

Christopher R. Costantino, age 24, of 10 Cedar Pond Drive, Warwick, charged with: Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy.

Joseph A. Capelli, age 38, of 58 Firglade Drive, Cranston, Organized Criminal Gambling, 2.) Conspiracy

All 17 men were arraigned today at 2 p.m. in Third Division District Court, 222 Quaker Lane, Warwick, RI 02886.

http://warwickpost.com/state-police-arr ... ing-sweep/

[Wiseguy]

I don't know if anyone recognizes some of the names but all things considered - location, several Italians involved, and the specific crimes charged - it's likely LCN connected.

[Wiseguy]

Looks like Moretti and Cipolla were part of a gambling bust back in 1999 that included Patriarca members Anthony St Laurent and Rudolph Sciarra.

[dixiemafia]

I thought I've seen Moretti's name before, but could be coincidence.

[Wiseguy]

I thought I've seen Moretti's name before, but could be coincidence.

Another article out today labeled him a mob associate.

[JCB1977]

I thought I've seen Moretti's name before, but could be coincidence.

Another article out today labeled him a mob associate.

With no made guys being snared in the indictment, especially in RI where LCN has been decimated, could be strictly some former "low level" associates not kicking up to anybody. It's a huge stretch to say this is LCN.

[JCB1977]

I thought I've seen Moretti's name before, but could be coincidence.

Another article out today labeled him a mob associate.

Associate of who? What level associate?

[Wiseguy]

State police: 20 arrested; drugs, cash seized in gambling sweep
BY NBC 10 NEWS
APRIL 15TH 2016


Rhode Island State Police revealed Friday that a statewide gambling organization that was busted earlier this week included an "interconnected" marijuana distribution operation.

Investigators said a sweep netted 20 arrests and the seizure of 330 pounds of marijuana and $311,596 in cash. They announced three new arrests since Tuesday, saying a total of 19 men and one woman face charges.

State police said an eight-month investigation led to the discovery of two illegal bookmaking operations.

State police said Thomas Pilderian was running one of them out of his restaurant The Cozy Grill at 440 Warwick Ave. in Warwick. Investigators said they identified Mark Battista, Mark Marinaro, Jason Pilderian, Joseph Brunelle, Eric Glaude, David Disano and Jonny E Lubo as alleged co-conspirators in the operation.

They said the second operation was run by James Petrella and Timothy Moretti. State police identified Sean Furney, Brian K. Cipolla, Lewis Silveira, Louis Scaglione Jr., Christopher Costantino and Joseph A. Capelli as alleged co-conspirators with Petrella and Moretti.

Investigators said both alleged operations relied on websites based in Costa Rica for betting and record keeping. State police said the alleged co-conspirators face charges for collecting debts for the organizations.

State police said the investigation also revealed a marijuana trafficking operation that Col. Steven O'Donnell described as "interconnected" to the gambling operations. Police searched a storage locker in Cranston that was frequented by one of the suspects. Zhen Wu and Shu Ruan are being held without bail on various drug counts.

State police said they executed search warrants at the following locations: 55 Pine Ridge Drive, Cranston; The Cozy Grill; 400 Narragansett Parkway (West B3), Warwick; 25 Talbut Road, Scituate; 1710 Phenix Ave., Cranston; 26 Beach Row, Narragansett; GiGi's Pizzeria, 647 Main Ave., Warwick; The Portside restaurant, 321 Great Island Road, Narragansett 125 Pleasant St., Cranston; and storage unit 3045, 604 Park Ave., Cranston

In addition to the drugs and cash, investigators seized gambling ledgers, two scales, two money counting machines, six digital storage devices, 10 computers, 11 cellphones, two pickup trucks and a minivan.

http://turnto10.com/news/local/state-po ... bling-bust

[Wiseguy]

I thought I've seen Moretti's name before, but could be coincidence.

Another article out today labeled him a mob associate.

Associate of who? What level associate?

Timothy Moretti, a 46-year-old from Cranston, is one of the alleged ringleaders for the gambling operation, which authorities have so far declined to name or discuss in detail, according to WPRI-TV.

The Journal reports Moretti is a known mob associate and former prison guard with a lengthy criminal history including drug and illegal gambling charges. He faces bookmaking, organized criminal gambling, conspiracy and probation violation charges.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ec9e023e ... -ring-bust

[Wiseguy]

State police say gambling operation had mob links; more arrests possible
By Carol Kozma, Providence Journal
AprI'll 15, 2016


SCITUATE, R.I. — An eight-month-long investigation by Rhode Island State Police into a statewide organized gambling operation with links to a historic crime family led to the arrest of 20 people and the discovery of a marijuana trafficking operation.

State police seized 330 pounds of marijuana, worth at least $1.5 million on the street. And there could be more arrests to come.

“The investigation is not complete,” Col. Steven G. O’Donnell, state police superintendent, said Friday, speaking at state police headquarters alongside Atty. Gen. Peter F. Kilmartin.

O’Donnell said that authorities broke up two bookmaking operations, one allegedly run by Thomas Pilderian, owner of the Cozy Grill restaurant in Warwick, and restaurant employee Mark Battista; and another allegedly run by James J. Petrella, co-owner of the Portside restaurant in Narragansett, and Timothy J. Moretti of Cranston. All four men were charged with bookmaking.

The state police on Tuesday seized property from the homes of several suspects, from the Cozy Grill and the Portside, from GiGi's Pizzeria in Warwick, and from a storage unit on Park Avenue in Cranston.

Later in the day, O’Donnell said, “there is certainly a connection to the organized [gambling] criminal operation, with ties to those associated with the Patriarca family.”

At the press conference, O'Donnell also spoke to the size of the investigation, which he called "time-consuming" and "voluminous." It involved hundreds of people from the attorney general's office, many local police departments and other agencies.

Authorities used eight wiretaps and two internet court orders to monitor two gambling websites: VIPbettors.com and betcapri.com, believed to be based in Costa Rica. State police can show the websites were running for at least eight months, he said.
Asked what sports were bet on, O’Donnell said, “you name it, they put bets on everything.”

Asked what sports were bet on, O’Donnell said, “you name it, they put bets on everything.”

Information gathered through the wiretaps led state police to people who trafficked marijuana in "large volumes," O'Donnell said at the press conference.
Police conducted surveillance and eventually got a warrant for 604 Park Ave. in Cranston, where they found more than 300 pounds of marijuana in a storage locker, O'Donnell said.

In addition to the previous arrests, state police announced the arrests of three more people, including Zhen Wu, 22, of Cranston and Shu Ruan, 40, of Cranston, both on four separate charges of possession with intent to deliver marijuana and controlled substance. Also announced Friday was the arrest of Louis Scaglione Jr., 24, of East Providence, on charges of organized criminal gambling and conspiracy.

Two of the men arrested on Tuesday — Chris Costantino and Sean Furney, each of whom is a 24-year-old Warwick resident, recently played professional baseball for the Rome Braves, a minor-league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. A spokesman for Major League Baseball said Friday that the league plans to look into the Rhode Island case "as a matter of standard operating procedure." Neither Costantino or Furney is currently under contract with a major-league team, but they could face a permanent ban if they are found to have bet on baseball.
When asked what the relationship was between the gambling operation and the marijuana, O'Donnell did not provide specific details: "We're just alleging they're all interconnected."

Over the phone, O'Donnell said that generally people involved in one form of criminal activity are involved in others.

“Their portfolio is diversified," he said.

What was seized

- Gambling ledgers
- $311,596 cash
- 330 pounds of marijuana
- 2015 Ford F-150 pickup, 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan, and 2010 Chevrolet Silverado pickup
- 10 computers, 11 cellphones, six digital storage devices, two scales and two money-counting machines

Investigating agencies
- State police
-Attorney general's office
- FBI
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Police departments in Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Scituate, North Providence, Narragansett, East Providence, West Warwick, Johnston, Lincoln, Central Falls, East Greenwich, Woonsocket and Newport

http://m.providencejournal.com/article/ ... /160419517

[Wiseguy]

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