The office of Massachusetts Attorney General, Maura Healy (pictured below right), announced on Monday the indictment of six individuals and a Swansea-based company in connection with a money laundering and illegal gambling scheme in the southeastern part of the New England state.
According to the official news release…
Last week the leaders of the alleged criminal enterprise, and the company, Televend Inc., located in Bristol County, were indicted by a grand jury on various charges including organizing and promoting gambling; money laundering; keeping a place for registering bets; three counts of conspiracy; and unlawful operation of a gaming device.
Swansea is located at the mouth of the Taunton River, just west of Fall River, 47 miles south of Boston.
“These indictments are the result of an investigation by the AG’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police.”
Four of the six suspects, who range in age from 44 to 75 are from Fall River while the other two suspects are 56 and 59 years-of-age and from Dighton and Somerset, respectively.
“The machines, which operated like casino slot machines, were in direct competition with Lottery products and for customers who opted to play the games,” the release said. “The AG’s Office also alleges that there were various aspects of Televend’s business that were almost entirely cash based, which allegedly enabled laundering of the illegal gambling proceeds.”
In Late May and June of this year, a series of coordinated raids were conducted by State Police for the purpose of removing the machines from host establishments. As a result of the raids, more than $140,000 in cash and several dozen machines were recovered, according to the release.
The Attorney General’s office investigated the case after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the Alcoholic Beverage and Control Commission, the Massachusetts Lottery, and various law enforcement agencies, received comlaints regarding the illegal gambling scheme.
The defendants will reportedly be arraigned in Bristol Court at a later date.
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