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New York State Illegal Betting Ringleaders Linked to Corrupt Cop Sentenced

Three years of probation, including ten months of home detention, have been imposed on two men from Rochester, New York, who oversaw an illegal sports betting and poker network that made over $10 million in revenue over the course of five years.

Following an investigation into their enterprise including federal agencies, the New York State Police, and the Rochester Police Department, federal agents arrested Louis Ferrari II, 42, and Dominic Sprague, 40, in February 2023.

Even though Sergeant Thomas J. Loewke of the New York State Police at the time tried to alert the defendants about the impending heat, the arrests nevertheless took place.

Subterranean Poker Room

In addition to operating an illicit sports betting business via the website sport700.com, which brought in around $2K daily for the two, Ferrari and Sprague also shared ownership of a covert poker parlor housed in an office building on Blossom Road in Rochester.

The bookmaking operation's "agents" included the defendants Anthony Amato, Joseph Lomardo, Joseph Boscarino, and James Cilvetti. Prosecutors claim that another person, Tommaso Sessa, oversaw the daily management of the poker facility.

Ferrari also had a Rochester excavation company, which cleaned the illicit gains from the venture.

Apart from the probationary period and home detention period, Sprague was ordered to pay $92,000K, while Ferrari was forced to forfeit $150K.

Officers had to infiltrate the gang by pretending to be gamblers as part of the investigation. However, a tip from Loewke, a Ferrari customer and gambler, nearly exposed their cover story.

An unidentified state trooper who happened to spot an affidavit with Ferrari's name on it sitting on a senior detective's desk informed Loewke about the investigation.

The trooper later admitted to prosecutors that he had told Loewke about his gambling problem since he was aware of it and didn't want him to get into trouble. The trooper had gone into the detective's office to fix the computer.

Stupid Wiretap

Federal officials were eavesdropping the defendants' phones during this period, and on January 2, 2001, they caught a call between Ferrari and Sprague that raised suspicions.

At his brother's pizza joint, Ferrari told Sprague, he was approached by a NYSP acquaintance who informed him he was being investigated. As the interview came to a conclusion, Ferrai revealed that his informant went by the letters "TJ," which stood for Loewke.

In December 2023, a federal judge found Loewke guilty of obstructing a state or local law enforcement investigation and sentenced him to two years of probation. Along with the $4K punishment, he was also mandated to perform 100 hours of community service.