New York– An Indian-origin municipal councillor has been charged in connection with a mafia-run gambling ring, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced on Friday.
Anand Shah, 42, was among 39 individuals indicted on charges including racketeering, illegal gambling, money laundering, and other related crimes. The charges stem from a sweeping investigation that led to raids at 12 locations across New Jersey, including four underground poker clubs.
Another Indian-origin individual, Samir S. Nadkarni, 48, of Longwood, Florida, was also charged. He was identified as a “sportsbook sub-agent/poker host” in the illegal operation.
Shah, a rising political figure in New Jersey, was serving his second term as a municipal councillor in Prospect Park, a suburb of New York. He held responsibilities in finance, economic development, and insurance.
“The arrest of a sitting council member only adds fuel to the fire of public distrust in elected officials,” Platkin said. Shah was allegedly managing illegal poker games and operating an online sportsbook in association with the notorious Lucchese Crime Family, one of the infamous Italian-American mafia syndicates in the U.S.
Authorities said the gambling enterprise, which generated approximately $3 million, operated out of social clubs and legitimate fronts such as restaurants, and also involved the use of illegal gambling machines.
Platkin cautioned against the glamorization of organized crime, saying, “While mob activity has been romanticized in movies and on television, the reality is far from cinematic. It’s about breaking the laws the rest of us follow—ultimately driven by money, control, and the threat of violence.” (Source: IANS)
