Rochester-area man faces up to six months for illegal sports gambling operation
A Rochester-area man who ran an illegal sports gambling operation will serve no more than six months under a plea agreement reached with federal prosecutors.
Louis Ferrari II pleaded guilty Monday to gambling-related crimes. Under federal sentencing guidelines, which are advisory for judges, Ferrari would serve up to six months in prison. The plea also calls for him to pay a $150,000 judgment.
Federal authorities in 2023 charged seven local men with maintaining a gambling operation that took bets on sporting events and hosted illegal poker games in an office suite on Blossom Road in the city of Rochester. Ferrari ran an online betting operation, sport700.com.
Others have also pleaded guilty to gambling-related crimes.
State trooper tipped off illegal bookie
A former state trooper, Thomas Loewke, has pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, admitting that he alerted Ferrari about the investigation. He was sentenced to probation.
"On April 17, 2021, as investigators arrived to execute a search warrant at 565 Blossom Road, they interrupted an ongoing illegal card game, which sent individuals fleeing," a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office said at the time of the arrests last year. "An unknown number of individuals successfully fled, eight were temporarily detained.
Federal prosecutors say the gambling and bookmaking business had "a gross daily revenue of approximately $2,000."
Ferrari is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 7.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Louis Ferrari faces up to six months for illegal gambling operation
