According to federal officials, over a dozen individuals of the Houston region are suspected of running an illegal gambling operation, which includes game rooms, that generated over $22 million in revenue.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas claims that Nizar Ali, 61, of Richmond, Texas, and his alleged co-conspirators “conspired to own, operate, or assist in the operation of illegal game rooms.”
According to the Justice Department, the group also reportedly planned to use fraudulent bank transactions to hide and disguise the proceeds from the unlawful gaming enterprise.
In a statement on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei described the bust as “one of the largest ever law enforcement operations in the Southern District of Texas.”
Other Texas residents charged alongside Ali are: Viviana Alvarado, 45, of LaPorte; Sarfarez Maredia, 38, and Shoaib Maredia, 40, of Sugar Land; Anabel Eloisa Guevarra, 46, Precela Solis, 27; Maria Delarosa, 53; Claudia Calderon, 37; and Lucia Hernandez, 34, all of Houston; and Naeem Ali, 33, and Amer Khan, 68, both of Richmond; Ishan Dhuka, 33, and Sahil Karovalia, 32, both of Rosenberg; and Yolanda Figueroa, 40, of Pasadena.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, two other individuals who were charged—Stephanie Huerta, 35, of Houston, and Sayed Ali, 59, of Richmond—are fugitives, and arrest warrants for them are still pending.
According to the Justice Department, during the operation on April 2, authorities also detained 31 people who were illegally in the country on a variety of immigration and firearms-related crimes.
More than $16 million in cash, property, and firearms were seized by federal investigators
The Justice Department said that over 700 law enforcement officials from 18 agencies executed 45 search and 40 seizure warrants at various sites around Houston and the surrounding area to shut down the alleged enterprise.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, 30 of the examined premises were unlawful game rooms with names like Yellow Building and El Portal.
Over $4.5 million in cash, $5 million in property and vehicles, 2,000 slot machines, 100 Rolex watches, and eight guns were found by officials during “Operation Double Down,” according to the Justice Department.
About $6.5 million was also taken from bank accounts and other financial entities by law enforcement.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, those identified in the indictment have been charged with conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, interstate travel in furtherance of racketeering, and operating an unlawful gambling operation.
The first three basic charges carry a possible jail penalty of five years apiece if found guilty, while the money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of twenty years, according to the Justice Department.
The U.S. attorney’s office also charges Nizar Ali with 32 counts of federal program bribery for allegedly paying an undercover investigator over $500,000 in an attempt to keep the illicit game rooms from being uncovered by law enforcement.
The Justice Department further stated that he could be imprisoned for up to 10 years on each count if found guilty of these offenses.
This information has been sourced from USA Today.
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