Paul Borrelli, Joseph Ruff, Mark Ruff, Conducting an Illegal Gambling Business, Money Laundering, New York 2014

Three men, Paul Borrelli, 66, and Joseph Ruff, 32, both of Rochester, N.Y., and Mark Ruff, 40, of Connecticut, have been charged with conducting an illegal gambling business in Rochester, New York.

According to the indictment, since January 2012, Borrelli, Joseph Ruff, and Mark Ruff have conducted an illegal gambling business involving sports betting which utilized multiple offshore internet gambling websites. The defendants provided betters with an account and password that permitted them to place wagers on various sporting events over the websites.

The cash payments to settle wagers generally occurred at face-face meetings, drop offs at residences or the Marina Bar (owned and managed by Borrelli and Joseph Ruff), FedEx deliveries, and bank deposits.

Borrelli was arrested at his residence at 31B Veldor Park in the City of Rochester, and Joseph Ruff was arrested today at his residence at 360 Edgemere Drive, a lakefront residence on Lake Ontario. Coinciding with their arrests this morning, federal search warrants were executed at each of their residences. During the searches, law enforcement seized over $80,000 in gambling proceeds secreted in various locations.

Borrelli and Joseph Ruff were arraigned this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and released on their own recognizance. They are due back in court on July 1, 2014.

If convicted of the illegal gambling offense, the defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the money laundering charges, Paul Borrelli and Joseph Ruff face a maximum sentence up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Additionally, the defendants would be required to forfeit $76 million in United States currency, the sum of money equal to the total amount of gross wagers involved in the illegal gambling business, six bank accounts, three real properties and a vehicle.

The investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which included the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Rochester Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Greece Police Department, and the Webster Police Department.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/three-men-indicted-gambling-and-money-laundering-charges