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October 3, 2003
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California announced that (1) Joseph A. Tedeschi, Jr., age 39 of Cranston, Rhode Island; (2) Peter V. Tedeschi, age 38, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island; (3) Rocco DeLuca, age 71, of Lake Worth, Florida; (4) Rocco DeLuca II, age 41, of Providence, Rhode Island; (5) Gold Chips Technologies, Inc.; and (6) Tecnologia, JPR, businesses controlled by the defendants, were arraigned yesterday in federal court in San Jose, California on an indictment charging them with conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling operation and traveling in interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; conducting an illegal gambling business in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1952(a)(3)(A); and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). The indictment also charges Joseph Tedeschi, Jr. with traveling in interstate and commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1952(a)(3)(A) and laundering monetary instruments in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A).
According to the indictment, the defendants are alleged to have conducted and International Internet gambling operation. The defendants are alleged to have formed Gold Chips Technologies to "develop[] and maintain[] online gaming software designed to give a virtual look and feel of the real casinos. This gaming software included casino games of Slots, Black Jack, Poker, Baccarat, Craps, Roulette Acey Ducey, Spin the Wheel, and one House game. . . . Our customers are a wide variety of people who want practical and functional online games that accomplish the simulation of being in the casino without the cost of travel, lodging and food." The indictment alleges that in May 1997, on behalf of Tecnologia, JPR, Joseph Tedeschi, Jr. entered into a licensing agreement with Handa Lopez, Inc., a Sunnyvale, California company, to purchase software, hardware and computer servers for the purpose of conducting and International Internet gambling operation.
The maximum statutory penalty for each of the money laundering related counts is twenty years imprisonment and $500,000 fine. The maximum statutory penalty for each of the gambling and racketeering related counts is five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. However, any sentence following conviction would be dictated by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of factors, and would be imposed in the discretion of the Court. An indictment simply contains allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, the defendants must be presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
Bail for the individual defendants was set at $150,000. The defendants' next scheduled appearance is at 9:00 a.m. on December 1, 2003 for status and trial setting before San Jose Federal Judge Ronald M. Whyte.
The prosecution is the result of a two-year investigation by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Carlos Singh is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Tracey Andersen.
A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney's Office's website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can. Related court documents and information may be found on the District Court website at www.cand.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.cand.uscourts/gov.
All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office should be directed to Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Jacobs at (415) 436-7181.
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