Four members of an illegal gambling ring are currently in the grips of law enforcers for operating illegal soccer betting in Wenatchee.
Agents of the Washington State Gambling Commission arrested suspects last week on Thursday and Friday and they have been charged with multiple offences.
The ring has been operating for several months and taking 100s of bets on a weekly basis. According to authorities, the ringleader was profiting up to $2,000 weekly, which is almost one-third of the money wagered money every week.
Illegal gambling is rife in the notoriously strict on gambling USA and particularly in Washington where many cartels operate underground making huge profits at the expense of the state.
With this, the authorities are relentlessly working to curb the situation. It was through one of these operations that the agents made the arrests.
Three men, aged 43, 49 and 52 are being charged with criminal profiteering, leading an organized crime cartel and second-degree professional gambling. The woman who is 53 years old has also been charged with a gambling offence. Items seized during the arrest include two vehicles, a cash amount of more than $65,000 and nearly $128,000 in bank accounts, which is now frozen.
Information from the commission indicates there has been several complaints about businesses facilitating gambling operations.
Through investigations, the commission found out that about five businesses including a taco restaurant were either abetting or accepting bets on Mexican matches.
It is unknown whether the suspects currently have access to attorneys.
