According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Pennsylvania Coin, LLC is charged in a one-count Information with conspiracy to commit money laundering between January 2007 and October 2012. Allegedly, Pennsylvania Coin, LLC maintained and operated illegal video gambling devices in establishments in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Patrons at the establishments received cash payments based on credits; Pennsylvania Coin LLC received fees from the owners of the establishments and allegedly split proceeds from the use of the gambling devices with owners of establishments.
Pennsylvania Coin, LLC allegedly used its share of the proceeds to pay employees and maintain the devices, established accounts at financial institutions where the proceeds were deposited and co-mingled the illegal funds with legitimate business income to conceal the nature, source and amount of the proceeds from the illegal gambling activity, in violation of the federal anti-money laundering statute.
The charge arises out of the seizure of 288 illegal gambling devices and over $77,000 in U.S. currency from 180 business establishments in October 2012 by agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement as part of a joint investigation.
