Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SALVATORE FERRAIOLI, 33, of Staten Island, New York, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to a federal tax charge stemming from his involvement in an illegal sports gambling operation.

According to court documents and statements made in court, FERRAIOLI was a bookmaker in a sports gambling operation run by Dean DePreta and Richard Uva, two alleged associates of the Gambino organized crime family. DePreta and Uva used sports-gambling websites, particularly 44wager.com based in Costa Rica, to conduct their bookmaking operation.

FBI analysis of 44wager.com website data determined that the total gross revenues of the Stamford-based gambling operation were nearly $1.7 million from October 2010 to June 2011.

In court, FERRAIOLI admitted to being a bookmaker in the operation, and for failing to register with the Internal Revenue Service or to file a wagering tax return in 2011.

FERRAIOLI pleaded guilty to one count of failing to file a wagering tax return. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant on June 17, 2015, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one year and a fine of up to $25,000. FERRAIOLI also has agreed to forfeit $160,988, and to pay back taxes, interest and penalties.

This matter was investigated by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hal Chen and Peter Jongbloed.