Fourteen people were charged for their roles in a multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting ring that involved college athletes and had links to organized crime, New Jersey authorities announced Thursday.
According to the authorities, Joseph "Little Joe" Perna, a member of the Lucchese crime family, and his associates ran a nationwide network of bookmakers who used offshore websites to facilitate approximately $2 million in bets between 2022 and 2024.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said several college athletes operated sportsbooks at the direction of Perna's organization. Platkin did not answer questions regarding which colleges or sports were involved in the alleged betting ring.
The NCAA is aware of the charges and is looking into the case, according to a spokesperson.
Perna, 55, of Fairfield, New Jersey, is charged along with his sons, stepson, nephews and others, with racketeering, conspiracy, gambling offenses and money laundering, the New Jersey attorney general's office said. Perna allegedly acted as the "financier," while his son Joseph R. Perna conducted the daily operations and facilitated dozens of subordinate agents.
Those subagents included Perna's brother, Anthony Perna, his stepbrother, Frank Zito, his cousins, Dominic Perna and Michael Cetta, according to authorities. Six other men were accused of being high-level agents who managed their own sportsbooks as part of the alleged scheme. Spencer Speziale, one of the co-defendants, is a newly certified agent for the NBPA, who is listed on the players association's agent directory but has no clients, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to ESPN. Attempts to reach Speziale were unsuccessful.
The 14 people charged all have first appearances Thursday, and any detention hearing will be scheduled later, according to Theresa Hilton, director of New Jersey's division of criminal justice.
Information from ABC News was used in this report.
