New Canaan Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Role in Organized Crime-Controlled Gambling Ring
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 01, 2013 |
Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Joseph Borea, 56, of New Canaan, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 33 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for being involved in organized crime-controlled gambling businesses. Borea was also ordered to forfeit $75,000 and pay a $50,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, after a long-term investigation led by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Stamford Police Department, Borea, Dean DePreta, Richard Uva, and 17 other individuals were charged with various offenses related to their involvement in an illegal Internet sports bookmaking operation and illegal card gambling clubs. As part of the conspiracy, DePreta and Uva were involved in the collection and payment of “tribute” payments to Gambino organized crime family associates in New York.
The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that DePreta operated a large-scale sports bookmaking business in which gamblers placed bets with offshore Internet sports-gambling websites, particularly www.44wager.com based in Costa Rica. Uva served as the “master agent” for the bookmaking operation.
In addition, DePreta, Uva, and others operated card gambling clubs in Stamford and Hamden where a house percentage, commonly referred to as a “rake,” was collected from every hand played.
Borea collected gambling debts for DePreta and Uva.
FBI analysis of the sports-betting website utilized by the co-defendants has determined that the total gross revenues of the Stamford-based gambling operation were nearly $1.7 million from October 2010 to June 2011.
Borea has been released on bond since his arrest on June 13, 2012. On August 7, 2013, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
DePreta and Uva also pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison terms of 71 months and 46 months, respectively.
To date, 18 defendants who have pleaded guilty have agreed to forfeit approximately $1.4 million.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hal Chen and Peter Jongbloed.