An Indian-origin municipal councillor, Anand Shah, has been charged for his involvement in a mafia-run gambling operation in New Jersey, according to an announcement made by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
Shah, aged 42, was one of 39 individuals arrested in connection with racketeering, gambling offences, money laundering, and other serious crimes.
Platkin revealed on Friday, April 11, that the charges stemmed from a series of raids at 12 locations across the state, including four poker clubs.
Shah, who was serving his second term as a municipal councillor in Prospect Park, a suburb of New York, was responsible for overseeing finance, economic development, and insurance within the town. His arrest comes as a shock, especially considering his growing political career.
Platkin expressed his concerns over the arrest, remarking that it only worsens the public’s mistrust of elected officials. He also stated that Shah allegedly played a role in managing illegal poker games and operating an online sportsbook in collaboration with the infamous Lucchese Crime Family, one of the most notorious Italian-American mafia groups in the United States, which has extended its criminal activities through collaborations with individuals of various ethnic backgrounds.
Another individual of Indian descent, Samir S Nadkarni, aged 48, from Longwood, Florida, was also charged in this case. He was identified as a “sportsbook sub-agent/poker host”, according to Platkin’s office.
This large-scale gambling operation, which amounted to a value of USD 3 million, was run from behind the cover of legitimate businesses such as social clubs and restaurants, as well as through gambling machines.
Platkin said that while mob activity may be romanticised in films and television, the reality is far from glamorous. It is about breaking the laws that the general public is bound to follow, and ultimately, it revolves around money, control, and the constant threat of violence.
