22 Indicted in Connection with Illegal Gambling Operation Based at Indiana Steakhouse

(AsiaGameHub) –   Twenty-two people have been indicted by prosecutors for their alleged involvement in an illicit gambling operation based out of Gino’s Steakhouse in Merrillville, Indiana.

James Gerodemos, also known as Jimmy the Greek, and Dean Gialamas are alleged to have been the heads of the Gerodemos Gambling Organization.

The indictment states that the pair managed illegal betting services via the websites Garden City Bets and ABC Wagering. Both sites are still active, with Garden City Bets providing an online casino, a sportsbook, and a racebook.

Websites Use Official Logos to Appear Legitimate

To seem more authentic, ABC Wagering displays the English Premier League (EPL) logo. It also uses trademarks from the NBA, NHL, NCAA, and NFL.

Prosecutors state the Super Bowl was a major revenue source for the enterprise, with the sale of line pool betting cards costing between $500 and $25,000 per line. This brought in between $700,000 and $900,000 annually from the high-profile event.

Although the platforms operated similarly to legal gambling sites, prosecutors allege the Gerodemos Gambling Organization offered lines of credit to its customers.

Even after the indictments, the websites seem to be active, as Garden City Bets and ABC Wagering display future sports events on their main pages.

Criminal Network Threatened Gamblers

Agents and bookies collected money from losing bets and received commissions of 25% to 50% on the debt they managed to collect. The remaining profits were sent up the illicit network’s hierarchy to Gerodemos and Gialamas.

Employees from both Gino’s Steakhouse and the Paragon restaurant in Indiana were utilized by the network to assist in the collection and distribution of gambling proceeds.

The indictment details multiple threatening messages Gerodemos sent to gamblers concerning unpaid debts. On occasion, he made threats against the victims’ families.

One individual responded to the intimidation by informing Gerodemos that a police report was being filed.

“You guys keep t[h]reating me, Again and again, I’m paying what I have to pay, To james, I file a police report on all the [threats] that you guys making, To me no problem, When you involve families is another situation, You guys didn’t give me any other option, To file a police report,” he wrote in a text message, as revealed in the indictment.

Gerodemos is facing 17 criminal counts, including extortion, money laundering, and running an illegal gambling business.

Undercover Agents Trailed By Accomplices

Law enforcement initiated an investigation into the Gerodemos Gambling Organization, with undercover officers starting to surveil its operations.

According to the indictment, earlier this month, one of Gerogemos’s accomplices, Michael Campbell, then participated in secret countersurveillance operations.

Campbell was seen “following the undercover agent and driving erratically at speeds in excess of 100 mph.”

The probe found that Gerodemos had been running the illegal gambling operation since January 2021. The 62-year-old had previously spent six months in prison for possessing more than 16,000 pounds of illegal explosives.

Indiana Clamps Down on Illegal Gambling

Alongside the probe into Gerodemos’ activities, Indiana has also been intensifying its crackdown on sweepstakes casinos.

The state enacted a law this year to specifically prohibit the platforms. The legislation grants the Indiana Gaming Commission the power to issue civil penalties of up to $100,000 against operators or individuals who knowingly provide sweepstakes games to Indiana residents, including out-of-state platforms that serve players in the state.

For Gerodemos, facing extortion and money laundering charges means he is subject to a much more severe potential punishment.