NJ Councilman Admits Role In Lucchese Gambling Operation
A New Jersey councilman has pleaded guilty to running an illegal sportsbook and poker operation tied to the Lucchese crime family, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced this week.
Anand U. Shah, 44, of Prospect Park, pleaded guilty on August 28 before Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Amirata in Morris County to first-degree racketeering, first-degree money laundering and second-degree official misconduct.
Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend a 10-year prison sentence, of which Shah must serve 85% before becoming eligible for parole.
He must also forfeit his council seat and is permanently barred from holding public office.
Subagents And A Poker Rake
According to the Attorney General's office, Shah operated as both a sportsbook agent and a poker manager within the criminal enterprise.
He ran illegal poker clubs where a "rake," a percentage of the money wagered on each hand, was collected as house profit, and he oversaw dozens of subagents on the sportsbook side.
Between January 2017 and August 2023, the criminal proceeds directly attributable to Shah totaled $900,084, prosecutors said.
Shah also admitted directing gambling debtors toward his council campaign: individuals who owed him money were told they could contribute to his campaign instead of repaying their debt, with the balance forgiven in exchange for the donation.
Part Of A Wider Investigation
Shah is one of 42 people indicted since April 2025 following a two-year investigation into illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion and money laundering connected to the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction.
Between October 2025 and August 2026, 38 other defendants pleaded guilty to their roles in the enterprise, which investigators say generated roughly $4.79 million in suspected criminal proceeds funnelled through shell corporations and legitimate businesses.
Charges remain pending against two other defendants, who are presumed innocent.
"Public officials have a special duty to ensure that they follow the law," Attorney General Davenport said. "The defendant not only broke the law, but he then used criminal proceeds to fund his political campaign. Today's guilty plea demonstrates that no one is above the law."
Case Underlines Persistence Of Illegal Markets
Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton said the case is a reminder that unlicensed gambling operations continue to compete with New Jersey's regulated sports betting and iGaming markets. "Even with a variety of legal gambling options, illegal gambling rings run by organized crime continue to operate in backrooms and online," Hilton said.
"Law enforcement will continue to dismantle these criminal enterprises no matter where they operate."
New Jersey has run one of the largest regulated online sports betting and iGaming markets in the country since the state's 2018 launch, with licensed sportsbooks and casinos required to hold state gaming permits, verify player identity and report activity to the Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Prosecutors have consistently framed cases like Shah's as evidence that illegal, unlicensed books still operate in parallel with that regulated market, often relying on personal networks and cash rather than the compliance infrastructure licensed operators must maintain.
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Sentencing Set For December
Deputy Attorney General Heather Hausleben is prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice, with the investigation led by Detective Sergeant Michael Gallant of the New Jersey State Police.
Attorney General Davenport credited the FBI's Newark, Red Bank and New York City offices, the U.S. Marshals Service, federal probation and the Department of Corrections Special Operations Group for their roles in the investigation.
Shah is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2026, when the court will decide whether to accept the state's recommended 10-year term.
With two defendants from the original 42-person indictment still awaiting resolution, prosecutors say the broader Lucchese-linked gambling case is close to concluding more than a year and a half after the initial arrests in April 2025.
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