A federal grand jury indictment has been unsealed in Northwest Indiana that charges 22 people with gambling-related crimes and violent extortion in a major sports betting business, the NBC Chicago investigative team has learned.
The target of the operation by the FBI and criminal division of the IRS is a Schererville restaurateur who now stands accused of masterminding an illegal sports betting business across several states.
The Indiana businessman is who tops the indictment filed in Hammond is James “Jimmy the Greek” Gerodemos according to authorities.
Many of the defendants appeared in Indiana federal court on Wednesday without fanfare. Some of the defendants had nicknames listed by federal agents, a list that included “Rami Straight Flush, Caesars Andrew, Donny Brasco and Chuckie Hoffa.”
