18 arrested in illegal lottery bust in New Jersey

Apr 3, 2017, 8:49 am (23 comments)

Insider Buzz

May be part of larger network of illegal games

Includes video report

IRVINGTON, N.J. — Cracking down on a vast underground gambling operation, Irvington Police hit the jackpot on Friday, arresting 18 people, allegedly connected to an illegal lottery enterprise out of storefronts across New Jersey.

"Basically, the numbers are run by the New Jersey or New York lotteries, the mid-day and the night number, and they usually call, make payments on the numbers," says Irvington Police Detective Mitchell Molina.

Known as operation 'March Madness,' nearly 75 officers across several state and local jurisdictions along with Homeland Security raided 15 businesses throughout Irvington, Newark, Elizabeth and Roselle. Investigators say the illegal lotteries used the same winning numbers as the New York and New Jersey lotteries, but paid bigger odds, and they estimate these businesses were pulling in as much as $30,000 per week.

Investigators say Juan Carlos Martinez and Idelkis Martinez were the ring leaders of the operation, which they say has a money trail leading all the way to the Dominican Republic. More than $100,000 was confiscated during Friday's raids, along with lottery receipts, phones and computers.

Investigators believe this group also had ties to operations in Florida and Illinois.

VIDEO: Watch the report

WABC, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Wendy G's avatarWendy G

Really. Was this really worth their time.  Here comes some jail time. Bash

konane's avatarkonane

Quote: Originally posted by Wendy G on Apr 3, 2017

Really. Was this really worth their time.  Here comes some jail time. Bash

I Agree!

music*'s avatarmusic*

"March Madness"  Have to protect the legal lottery. Good work law enforcement! Dance

Raven62's avatarRaven62

$30,000 per week x 52 = $1,560,000 per year

MADDOG10's avatarMADDOG10

It was only a Matter of Time.!

Sunglasses

They paid out more, who complained?

roadster62

couldn,t get their tax money

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by Raven62 on Apr 3, 2017

$30,000 per week x 52 = $1,560,000 per year

raided 15 businesses throughout Irvington, Newark, Elizabeth and Roselle.

Breaks down to $2000 a business. Not bad but not exactly the type of crimes that requires Homeland security involvement.

eddessaknight's avatareddessaknight

Well Said Stack-

P.S.-

It's the old numbers racket being played again with a new spin from the top

"There is nothing new under the sun"

~King Solomon

 

Eddessa_Knight with Light Sun Smiley

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by Sunglasses on Apr 3, 2017

They paid out more, who complained?

The "illegal lottery" started long before states began legislating state lotteries, paid out $600 to $1, and continued by taking bets on the numbers drawn by the state lottery pick-3. Even though the KY Lottery has the $600 to $1 payout, I've heard rumors of bookies here taking bets just like their counterparts in NJ.

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by eddessaknight on Apr 3, 2017

Well Said Stack-

P.S.-

It's the old numbers racket being played again with a new spin from the top

"There is nothing new under the sun"

~King Solomon

 

Eddessa_Knight with Light Sun Smiley

I saw co-workers betting on the old numbers game years after the Ohio Lottery began offering pick-3.

SHERWIN Vega's avatarSHERWIN Vega

Quote: Originally posted by Sunglasses on Apr 3, 2017

They paid out more, who complained?

I Agree!

SHERWIN Vega's avatarSHERWIN Vega

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Apr 3, 2017

raided 15 businesses throughout Irvington, Newark, Elizabeth and Roselle.

Breaks down to $2000 a business. Not bad but not exactly the type of crimes that requires Homeland security involvement.

I Agree!

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

There's not a candy store or news stand on the East Coast that would survive without 'the number'. 

One time in Hudson County my father went to play and there was also a cop and a priest in the store. They left and my father played the number and the clerk was laughing because the cop and the priest were there to do the same thing. 

When NJ announce a state lottery my father got a phone call and the caller said, "Don't forget us, we always pay in cold hard cash and no taxes no matter how much you win."

I knew some very young guys who were making over $500 a week (this in the 1960s) as runners.

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