Two Stamford Men Sentenced To Federal Prison For Participating In Illegal Gambling Ring

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that two Stamford men involved in illegal gambling businesses were sentenced today by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford.  THOMAS UVA IV, also known as “Little T,” 32, was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and JOHN COLELLO, 54, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release.  UVA and COLLELLO also were ordered to forfeit $100,000 and $1,000, respectively.

According to court documents and statements made in court, after a long-term investigation led by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Stamford Police Department, UVA, COLELLO and 18 other individuals were charged with various offenses related to their involvement in an illegal Internet sports bookmaking operation and illegal card gambling clubs.  UVA is an alleged associate of the Gambino organized crime family.

The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that UVA, COLELLO and others were involved in a large-scale sports bookmaking operation in which gamblers placed bets with offshore Internet sports-gambling websites, particularly www.44wager.com based in Costa Rica.  In addition, UVA and others operated a card gambling club at 514 Glenbrook Road in Stamford, and certain other co-conspirators operated card gambling clubs at 859 East Main Street in Stamford and 2965 State Street in Hamden.

FBI analysis of the sports-betting web site utilized by the co-defendants has determined that the total gross revenues of the Stamford-based gambling operation were nearly $1.7 million from October 2010 to June 2011.

On March 13, 2013, UVA pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and one count of money laundering, and COLELLO pleaded guilty to one count of operating an illegal gambling business.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department and the Connecticut State Police.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hal Chen and Peter Jongbloed.

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