State releases gambling scandal details
A 427-page affidavit was released Wednesday following a press conference by multiple local and federal agencies that participated in an operation that uncovered illegal and fraudulent Internet gambling in the state.
Jacksonville-based Allied Veterans of the World executives Jerry Bass and Mike Davis were arrested in the sweep of nearly 60 players in Florida and beyond. Hernando County native Kelly Mathis, legal counsel for the supposed not-for-profit organization, was also arrested.
Two Spring Hill men, Anthony Alascia and John Cucciniello, owners of Gin Lin Sweepstakes at 2402 Commercial Way, were arrested on numerous charges Tuesday, which included racketeering, operating a lottery and gambling establishment and money laundering of more than $100,000.
The affidavit lists multiple Bank of America accounts Alascia and Cucciniello opened between 2007 and 2012.
A GINLIN, LLC payroll account opened by Anthony Alascia and a co-signor, Genevieve DiGiovanni, received about $7 million between March 2010 and March 2012 from Allied Veterans of the World-affiliated accounts based in Sarasota, Fort Myers and South Carolina, according to the affidavit.
A payroll account opened in Alascia’s name in February 2010 is believed to have received at least $572,886.43 from the Internet sweepstakes nonprofit.
Two other accounts Alascia opened received more than $1.5 million in transfers from Allied Veteran-associated accounts.
Three bank accounts are linked to Cucciniello in the affidavit and are believed to have received more than $281,000 of illegal gambling money.
The affidavit lists one of the accounts opened by John and Nikki Cucciniello, as having $123.18 deposited from Felonies, LLC “which indirectly received illegal proceeds.”
Nikki Cucciniello and Susan Alascia, Anthony Alascia’s wife, are co-owners of Felony’s Restaurant and Bar, according to Florida Department of State Division of Corporations.
As part of the operation, four Spring Hill properties in Alascia’s name were seized, the affidavit shows. The addresses are 7215 Clearwater Drive, 2115 Founder Road, 5493 Pinehurst Drive and 3272 Bluestone Ave. The combined value of the properties is estimated at $294,144, per Hernando County Property Appraiser assessments.
Anthony Alascia also had a Maserati car seized, and John Cucciniello’s Harley Davidson, boat and watercraft were taken as well.
The two men were arrested in Hernando County and held at the jail before being transferred to Seminole County Wednesday, where the charges against them were filed.
