Twelve men from Long Island and Queens have been arrested in a sports betting ring that prosecutors say took in more than $30 million during the past five years.
Detectives made the arrests early Monday morning as they raided the ring's College Point "wire room."
"It never ceases to amaze me the extent to which people will go to avoid an honest day's work," Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said at a news conference. "In addition to breaking the law, gambling rings cheat the tax system and skirt the rules we are all forced to live by."
Stephen Rozich, 55, of Douglaston, and Daniel Rozich, 52, of Little Neck, who prosecutors said were the ringleaders in wagering on college and pro football, were arrested at their homes and charged with conspiracy and promoting gambling.
Attorney Dave McAndrews of Hempstead, who represents the Rozich brothers, could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
The brothers and 10 people who worked for them all face up to 11/3 to 4 years in prison if they are convicted of first-degree promoting gambling.
Search warrants executed Monday resulted in the seizure of about $50,000 in cash, gambling records, gambling equipment and four vehicles, prosecutors said. Late yesterday, detectives raided a second safe deposit box and seized an additional $60,000, prosecutors said.
The suspects are due in court Thursday.
Rice said that from March through early November, undercover detectives placed numerous bets with an illegal betting ring based first in Flushing and then College Point. They would either call a phone number and place their bets with the wire room directly, or they would use one of numerous Long Island-based "runners" to act as a go-between between themselves and the operation, she said.
Authorities say that the Rozich brothers have been in the sports-betting business for more than 25 years.
"Gambling on sports is not a victimless crime," Rice said. "The multimillion-dollar profits these operations take in are not generally spent on tuition bills or charitable giving. These profits are often the lifeblood of something more sinister."
There's also a Nice Video here, with DA Rice and some PHOTO'S
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-libet1113,0,2467117.story
Detectives made the arrests early Monday morning as they raided the ring's College Point "wire room."
"It never ceases to amaze me the extent to which people will go to avoid an honest day's work," Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said at a news conference. "In addition to breaking the law, gambling rings cheat the tax system and skirt the rules we are all forced to live by."
Stephen Rozich, 55, of Douglaston, and Daniel Rozich, 52, of Little Neck, who prosecutors said were the ringleaders in wagering on college and pro football, were arrested at their homes and charged with conspiracy and promoting gambling.
Attorney Dave McAndrews of Hempstead, who represents the Rozich brothers, could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
The brothers and 10 people who worked for them all face up to 11/3 to 4 years in prison if they are convicted of first-degree promoting gambling.
Search warrants executed Monday resulted in the seizure of about $50,000 in cash, gambling records, gambling equipment and four vehicles, prosecutors said. Late yesterday, detectives raided a second safe deposit box and seized an additional $60,000, prosecutors said.
The suspects are due in court Thursday.
Rice said that from March through early November, undercover detectives placed numerous bets with an illegal betting ring based first in Flushing and then College Point. They would either call a phone number and place their bets with the wire room directly, or they would use one of numerous Long Island-based "runners" to act as a go-between between themselves and the operation, she said.
Authorities say that the Rozich brothers have been in the sports-betting business for more than 25 years.
"Gambling on sports is not a victimless crime," Rice said. "The multimillion-dollar profits these operations take in are not generally spent on tuition bills or charitable giving. These profits are often the lifeblood of something more sinister."
There's also a Nice Video here, with DA Rice and some PHOTO'S
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-libet1113,0,2467117.story
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