Nine people, including a husband and wife and their son, have been indicted in connection with a large-scale illegal sports betting and money laundering operation in the Greater Boston area, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Friday.
Nine people, including a husband and wife and their son, have been indicted in connection with a large-scale illegal sports betting and money laundering operation in the Greater Boston area, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Friday.
The charges are the result of an extensive investigation by state police and the attorney general's Gaming Enforcement Division into organized crime related to illegal gambling, money laundering and extortion in the area.
Lon Hillson Sr., 74, and his son, Lonnie Hillson Jr., 55, both of Melrose, were indicted Friday by a statewide grand jury on the charges of organizing and promoting gambling, registration of bets, use of the phone for gambling, conspiracy to register bets and attempted extortion.
Hillson Sr.'s wife, Marcia Hillson, 72, and Paul Limone, 58, of Medford, were also indicted on one count each of registration of bets, use of the phone for gambling and conspiracy to register bets.
Dennis Wilcox, 43, of Everett, Anthony Dimare, 57, of Medford, Donald Dimare, 65, of Medford, and John Whalen, 52, of Medford, were each indicted on one count of attempted extortion.
John Rothfuchs, 62, of Boxborough, was indicted on one count each of organizing and promoting gambling, registration of bets, use of the phone for gambling, and money laundering.
Authorities allege that the Hillsons were operating the illegal gambling operation out of their residences in Melrose. They allegedly took illegal bets exclusively over the phone, while Wilcox, the Dimares and Whalen assisted them in extorting money owed to them from bettors, including an undercover officer.
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Rothfuchs was allegedly running a second large-scale gambling operation where he registered bets through an offshore online bookmaking website.
Hillson Sr. was also allegedly running a football parlay card betting and loansharking operation with Limone. Authorities said they were extending loans at exorbitant interest rates.
All of the defendants will be arraigned on the charges at a later date in Middlesex Superior Court.
