All 22 defendants charged in a sweeping federal gambling and extortion case tied to northwest Indiana restaurants pleaded not guilty Thursday during arraignments in federal court in Hammond.
The case, dubbed “Operation Porterhouse Parlay,” centers on an alleged illegal sports betting network that federal prosecutors say operated for years out of Gino’s Steakhouse in Merrillville and Paragon Restaurant in Hobart.
Authorities allege the operation accepted bets both online and in person through gambling websites, phone calls and text messages, with bettors located across the country.
Federal prosecutors identified James Gerodemos, also known as “Jimmy the Greek,” and Dean Gialamas as alleged leaders of the operation.
