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David Purdum
Fourteen people were charged for their roles in a multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting ring that involved college athletes and ties to organized crime, New Jersey authorities announced Thursday.
Lucchese crime family member Joseph “Little Joe” Perna and his associates ran a nationwide network of bookmakers who used offshore websites to facilitate nearly $2 million in betting between 2022 and 2024, according to authorities.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said that several college athletes operated sportsbooks at the direction of Perna’s organization. Platkin did not answer questions about which colleges or sports were involved in the alleged betting ring.
According to a spokesperson, the NCAA is aware of the allegations and is investigating the matter.
Perna, 55, of Fairfield, New Jersey, has been charged with racketeering, conspiracy, gambling crimes and money laundering, along with his sons, stepson, nephews and others, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said. Perna reportedly acted as the “financier”, while his son Joseph R. Perna ran daily operations and provided support to dozens of subordinate agents.
According to authorities, those sub-agents included Perna’s brother, Anthony Perna, his half-brother, Frank Zito, his cousin, Dominic Perna, and Michael Setta. Six other people were accused of being high-level agents who managed their own sportsbooks as part of the alleged scheme. One of the co-defendants, Spencer Speziale, is a newly certified agent for the NBPA, who is listed in the players’ union’s agent directory but has no clients, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to ESPN. Attempts to reach Spezial were unsuccessful.
The 14 people charged will have their first appearance Thursday and any detention hearings will be scheduled at a later date, according to Theresa Hilton, director of New Jersey’s Division of Criminal Justice.
Information from ABC News was used in this report.
