More than a dozen Texas residents accused of operating $22 million illegal gambling scheme
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Experts say gambling is a big health risk
Gambling is just as addictive as alcohol and tobacco, so why isn't it treated like it? A group of medical experts says that needs to change.
Straight Arrow News
More than a dozen Houston-area residents have been accused of operating an illegal gambling business, including game rooms, that made more than $22 million in proceeds, federal authorities said.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas, Nizar Ali, 61, of Richmond, Texas, and his alleged accomplices "conspired to own, operate or assist in the operation of illegal game rooms." The group also allegedly conspired to conceal and disguise the money made from the illegal gambling scheme by conducting fraudulent financial transactions, the Justice Department said.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei on Thursday called the bust "one of the largest ever law enforcement operations in the Southern District of Texas."
In addition to Ali, the other Texas residents charged include Naeem Ali, 33, and Amer Khan, 68, both of Richmond; Ishan Dhuka, 33, and Sahil Karovalia, 32, both of Rosenberg; Sarfarez Maredia, 38, and Shoaib Maredia, 40, both of Sugar Land; Yolanda Figueroa, 40, of Pasadena; Viviana Alvarado, 45, of LaPorte; and Anabel Eloisa Guevarra, 46, Precela Solis, 27, Maria Delarosa, 53, Claudia Calderon, 37, and Lucia Hernandez, 34, all of Houston.
Two additional persons charged – Sayed Ali, 59, of Richmond, and Stephanie Huerta, 35, of Houston – are considered fugitives, and warrants remain outstanding for their arrests, the U.S. attorney's office said. Authorities also arrested 31 individuals living in the country illegally on various immigration and gun charges during the operation on April 2, according to the Justice Department.
Federal authorities seized more than $16 million in cash, property and guns
To bring down the alleged operation, more than 700 law enforcement officers from 18 agencies served 45 search and 40 seizure warrants at locations throughout Houston and the surrounding area, according to the Justice Department. Of the searched locations, 30 were illegal game rooms with names like El Portal and Yellow Building, the U.S. attorney's office added.
During "Operation Double Down," authorities recovered more than $4.5 million in cash, $5 million in property and vehicles, 2,000 slot machines, 100 Rolex watches and eight firearms, the Justice Department said. Additionally, law enforcement seized about $6.5 million from bank accounts and other financial institutions.
Seven tigers found in arrest: Nevada man says some of his 'emotional support' tigers came from Joe Exotic
Those named in the indictment have been charged with conspiracy, operating an illegal gambling business, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. attorney's office. If convicted, each faces up to five years for the first three initial charges, while the money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, the Justice Department said.
Nizar Ali is also charged with 32 counts of federal program bribery for allegedly paying more than $500,000 to an undercover officer to try and protect the illegal game rooms from being busted by law enforcement, according to the U.S. attorney's office. If convicted on these charges, he faces up to 10 years for each count, the Justice Department added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Trump administration should release its 100 000 pages on Jeffrey Epstein, judge says
The Trump administration should release its Jeffrey Epstein files rather than ask the courts, ruled a US judge. The government has 100 000 pages, compared to the 70-odd grand jury pages, said Judge Richard Berman. Berman said that the Trump administration's motion appeared to be a diversion. A US judge said on Wednesday that the Trump administration is in a better position than federal courts to release materials that would satisfy public curiosity about the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case. In rejecting the Justice Department's bid to unseal records from the grand jury that indicted Epstein in 2019, Manhattan-based US District Judge Richard Berman wrote that the 70-odd pages of materials the grand jury saw paled in comparison to the 100 000 pages the government had from its Epstein investigation but was not releasing. The judge said the bid to persuade him to unseal the records was an apparent distraction from the Justice Department's decision in July not to release its files and directly cited another judge's decision earlier this month not to release similar materials from the grand jury that indicted Epstein's longtime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. 'The instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government's possession,' Berman wrote. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Berman's decision came as US President Donald Trump has faced criticism from his conservative base of supporters and congressional Democrats over the Justice Department's decision not to release the files from its Epstein investigation. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty. His death in jail and his friendships with the wealthy and powerful sparked conspiracy theories that other prominent people were involved in his alleged crimes and that he was murdered. Trump, a Republican, had campaigned for a second term in 2024 with promises to make public Epstein-related files, and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But in July, the Justice Department declined to release any more material from its investigation of the case and said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump's supporters. To try to quell the discontent, Trump in July instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval for the release of grand jury material from Epstein's case. READ | Trump's name appears in Jeffrey Epstein files - but it's 'fake news' says White House Evidence seen and heard by grand juries, which operate behind closed doors to prevent interference in criminal investigations, cannot be released without a judge's approval. Justice Department investigations typically collect more material than prosecutors ultimately present to grand juries. Some of that evidence is sometimes eventually disclosed to the public during criminal trials. The Justice Department does not routinely disclose its evidence in cases where a defendant pleads guilty or, like Epstein, never faces trial, but it would not require judicial approval to release such materials. The grand jury that indicted Epstein heard from just one witness, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and saw a PowerPoint presentation and call logs, Berman wrote. READ | Under pressure, Trump urges Bondi to release 'whatever she thinks is credible' on Jeffrey Epstein On 11 August, a different Manhattan-based judge, Paul Engelmayer, denied the Justice Department's request to unseal grand jury testimony and exhibits from Maxwell's case, writing that the material was duplicative of public testimony at her 2021 trial. Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence following her conviction for recruiting underage girls for Epstein. 'A member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Government's motion for their unsealing was aimed not at 'transparency' but at diversion - aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such,' Engelmayer wrote. Maxwell had pleaded not guilty. After losing an appeal, she asked the US Supreme Court to review her case.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump admin better-placed than courts to release Epstein files, judge says
By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -A U.S. judge said on Wednesday that the Trump administration is in a better position than federal courts to release materials that would satisfy public curiosity about the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case. In rejecting the Justice Department's bid to unseal records from the grand jury that indicted Epstein in 2019, Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Richard Berman wrote that the 70-odd pages of materials the grand jury saw paled in comparison to the 100,000 pages the government has from its Epstein investigation but is not releasing. The judge said the bid to persuade him to unseal the records was an apparent distraction from the Justice Department's decision in July not to release its files and directly cited another judge's decision earlier this month not to release similar materials from the grand jury that indicted Epstein's longtime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. "The instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the Government's possession," Berman wrote. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Berman's decision came as President Donald Trump has faced criticism from his conservative base of supporters and congressional Democrats over the Justice Department's decision not to release the files from its Epstein investigation. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty. His death in jail and his friendships with the wealthy and powerful sparked conspiracy theories that other prominent people were involved in his alleged crimes and that he was murdered. Trump, a Republican, had campaigned for a second term in 2024 with promises to make public Epstein-related files, and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But in July, the Justice Department declined to release any more material from its investigation of the case and said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump's supporters. 'DIVERSION' To try to quell the discontent, Trump in July instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval for the release of grand jury material from Epstein's case. Evidence seen and heard by grand juries, which operate behind closed doors to prevent interference in criminal investigations, cannot be released without a judge's approval. Justice Department investigations typically collect more material than prosecutors ultimately present to grand juries. Some of that evidence is sometimes eventually disclosed to the public during criminal trials. The Justice Department does not routinely disclose its evidence in cases where a defendant pleads guilty or, like Epstein, never faces trial, but it would not require judicial approval to release such materials. The grand jury that indicted Epstein heard from just one witness, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and saw a PowerPoint presentation and call logs, Berman wrote. On Aug. 11, a different Manhattan-based judge, Paul Engelmayer, denied the Justice Department's request to unseal grand jury testimony and exhibits from Maxwell's case, writing that the material was duplicative of public testimony at her 2021 trial. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence following her conviction for recruiting underage girls for Epstein. "A member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Government's motion for their unsealing was aimed not at 'transparency' but at diversion - aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such," Engelmayer wrote. Maxwell had pleaded not guilty. After losing an appeal, she asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review her case. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
3 hours ago
- CNN
US Navy sailor convicted of espionage for sharing sensitive military information with China
A US Navy sailor was convicted Wednesday of espionage after a jury found him guilty of selling sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence officer. The sailor, Jinchao Wei — who was also found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage and 'unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defense articles' — will be sentenced on December 1, according to a statement from the Justice Department. The jury acquitted Wei on a charge of naturalization fraud. 'The defendant's actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. military,' Adam Gordon, US attorney for the Southern District of California, said in the statement. 'By trading military secrets to the People's Republic of China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies. The jury's verdict serves as a crucial reminder that the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute traitors.' Wei was arrested on August 2, 2023, as he arrived for work at Naval Base San Diego, where he served as a machinist's mate on the USS Essex amphibious assault ship. Machinist's mates are a class of engineers and are responsible for operating, maintaining and repairing ship equipment. During his first appearance in court a day later, federal defenders had submitted a not guilty plea on his behalf. According to Wednesday's statement, however, Wei confessed to selling technical and mechanical manuals in his post-arrest interview, during which he told the FBI, 'I'm screwed.' Wei was recruited by the Chinese intelligence officer through social media in February 2022, the Justice Department said. Between March 2022 and his arrest, Wei sent photos and videos of the USS Essex to the Chinese intelligence officer, along with the locations of several ships at the San Diego naval base. Wei also sent 'thousands of pages of technical and operational information' that were stored on restricted-access Navy computer systems, the Justice Department said. He received more than $12,000 over the course of 18 months in exchange for the information he shared. Around the time of Wei's arrest, another US Navy sailor in California was also arrested for selling sensitive military information. Wenheng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to conspiring with a Chinese intelligence officer and receiving a bribe, was sentenced early last year to more than two years in prison. CNN's Natasha Bertrand contributed to this report.
