Ylli Gjeli, Loan Sharking and Illegal Gambling, Pennsylvania 2014

PHILADELPHIA – A violent loan sharking and illegal gambling ring that operated out of several Philadelphia businesses has been dealt a major blow with the sentencing of its leaders. Ylli Gjeli, 49, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 168 months in prison for his role in the racketeering conspiracy and extortionate means.

Gjeli was a leader and 'boss' of the multi-million dollar criminal organization, which operated from October 2011 to 2013. During this time, the enterprise extended 125 usurious loans totaling $1.78 million with annual interest rates ranging from 104 percent to 395 percent. The organization's online sports betting website contributed more than $2.9 million in gross profits.

The Lion Bar & Grill in Philadelphia was used as a front for the enterprise, while Blackbird Café and 'Ylli's 2 Brothers' were also used to conduct illegal loan sharking and gambling activities. Gjeli and his associates used intimidation and threats of violence against customers, collected weekly loan payments, physically assaulted subordinate members and associates, and supervised the illegal gambling business.

Members and associates of the enterprise cultivated their reputation for violence by threatening customers with dangerous weapons, using implied threats and intimidation, and physically assaulting subordinate members and associates. The defendants attempted to conceal the existence and operations of the enterprise from law enforcement by using cryptic and coded language to describe criminal activities and conducting transactions primarily in cash.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, Montgomery County Detectives, and the New Jersey State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Salvatore L. Astolfi and Jerome Maiatico and Trial Attorney Margaret Vierbuchen from the Organized Crime & Gang Section.

Ylli Gjeli's sentencing is the latest development in a case that has been ongoing since 2014. In December 2014, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Gjeli, his co-defendant Fatimir Mustafaraj, and two others on charges of racketeering conspiracy, racketeering collection of unlawful debt, and collections of extensions of credit by extortionate means. Mustafaraj was sentenced to 147 months in prison.

The case is a stark reminder of the dangers of loan sharking and illegal gambling, and the lengths to which criminals will go to avoid detection. The sentencing of Ylli Gjeli and his associates is a significant victory for law enforcement and a testament to the importance of holding those responsible for such crimes accountable.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/violent-loan-sharks-get-long-prison-terms