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SUFFOLK COUNTY---Fourteen defendants have been arrested for promoting gambling, and four men for conspiracy to possess marijuana following a 14-month investigation by the Suffolk County district attorney's office.
District Attorney Thomas Spota said the ongoing investigation featured an $8.6 million dollar per year professional and collegiate sports gambling book that involved electronic data transfers to an offshore wire room in Costa Rica. District Attorney squad detectives and Special Investigations Bureau detective investigators have recovered over $1 million in cash from the defendant's homes, including $600,000 in cash from the Merrick residence of the gambling ring's accountant, Stephen H. Tarnofsky, of 2872 Rosebud Avenue.
"Surveillance of phone and computer communications established that the gambling ring took in an average of $165,000 a week in bets," Spota said. The district attorney said his office began a parallel investigation into a marijuana smuggling operation allegedly operated by two bookmakers, Salvatore Gerrato, 45, of 2337 Hampton Avenue in Seaford, and 33-year-old Frank Lonigro of 745 Terry Road in Hauppauge.
"From our surveillance we learned that both men we engaged in a lucrative sideline involving the transport of large quantities of marijuana from California to Long Island", said Spota. Detectives seized the smugglers' Winnebago RV belonging to defendant Jeffrey Ackerman, 43, of 9 Trapper Lane in Levittown, and confiscated $300,000 cash from the vehicle.
"The defendants had arranged a trip to the west coast to purchase over one-hundred pounds of marijuana when we confiscated the vehicle," Spota said. Gerrato and Lonigro's codefendants in the marijuana smuggling operation are charged with fourth degree conspiracy to possess marijuana, an E felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
The district attorney said one of the marijuana conspiracy suspects is still at large and wanted for questioning. Andrew Petrone, 34, of 725 Miller Avenue in Freeport, an attorney, has a pending criminal charge of possession of the controlled substance against him stemming from his arrest on the Southern State Parkway in June of 2005.
Spota said anyone with information regarding Petrone's whereabouts should call the D.A.'s Special Investigations Bureau at (631) 853-4199.
All of the defendants arrested for first degree promoting gambling and fourth degree conspiracy have been given desk appearance tickets for March court dates in Suffolk district court in Central Islip. 12-28-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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