Pennsylvania Police Spend Millions to Close Illegal Casino
Delaware County is once again the scene of a gambling raid as Pennsylvania police have spent untold amounts of taxpayer money running a six-year investigation that culminated this week with the charging of thirteen individuals with running an illegal casino and bookmaking.
The inquiry began in 2002 with the arrest of a suspect for bookmaking, and his cooperation led to the massive investment of money and man-hours into closing the gambling operation, which authorities asserted was linked to organized crime. Police estimate the gambling ring handled over a million dollars a month; if true, this meant $72 million went through the outfit while police slowly put together a case.
The ring is alleged to have taken sports and horse bets, and to have run an illegal casino in Folsom, where poker games were hosted.
Estimates of gambling revenues in situations like this bust are notoriously overplayed; for instance, a seized parlay card that offers printed returns on plays from $1 to $10,000 will be counted as $10,000 in gambling seizures, even though a play at the low end is far, far more likely.
A grand jury heard evidence in the case for over a year; costs of court time and district attorneys' salaries were not revealed.
Most of the suspects turned themselves in to police.
Wiretapping, surveillance, undercover operatives, and informers were used in the lengthy undertaking. Now police find themselves in the unenviable position of either having spent six years and millions of dollars to take down an overhyped minor gambling ring, or of having allowed a giant stream of illegal revenue to continue for literally years before bringing any charges.
Joe Marrota, a Philly native vacationing in Atlantic City, said, " It's just Philly politics as usual. This case has been feeding whole squads of cops and attorneys for years, all while any mobsters involved made a fortune and passed payments who knows where. Now someone will run for higher office on 'the great job they did' ."
