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Federal agents seize evidence of illegal gambling operation
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Federal agents seized $115,000, boxes of betting slips and 18 fax machines linking a network of illegal lotteries, according to documents filed in federal court.
Affidavits filed Friday in U.S. District Court allege that the illegal gambling was based on the Ohio Lottery's Pick 3 Numbers game. An estimated $10 million a year in bets were placed through ``numbers runners'' in the Cleveland and Akron areas.
The runners then used fax machines to send the bets to the people who ran the operation.
An affidavit by IRS Agent Thomas L. Himes identified those people as men in Beachwood, Seven Hills and Cleveland. No charges have been filed.
The FBI and IRS said agents on Thursday night seized dozens of boxes containing betting slips and ledgers, briefcases stuffed with cash and fax machines in searches of 14 homes or businesses in Cleveland, Akron, Beachwood, Seven Hills, Warrensville Heights and Lakewood.
The IRS alleges that a Cleveland man laundered the gambling money through his businesses. The investigation began in July 1999 through an informant.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Federal agents seized $115,000, boxes of betting slips and 18 fax machines linking a network of illegal lotteries, according to documents filed in federal court.
Affidavits filed Friday in U.S. District Court allege that the illegal gambling was based on the Ohio Lottery's Pick 3 Numbers game. An estimated $10 million a year in bets were placed through ``numbers runners'' in the Cleveland and Akron areas.
The runners then used fax machines to send the bets to the people who ran the operation.
An affidavit by IRS Agent Thomas L. Himes identified those people as men in Beachwood, Seven Hills and Cleveland. No charges have been filed.
The FBI and IRS said agents on Thursday night seized dozens of boxes containing betting slips and ledgers, briefcases stuffed with cash and fax machines in searches of 14 homes or businesses in Cleveland, Akron, Beachwood, Seven Hills, Warrensville Heights and Lakewood.
The IRS alleges that a Cleveland man laundered the gambling money through his businesses. The investigation began in July 1999 through an informant.