Another vending firm, its owner charged in video poker crackdown

Pennsylvannia -- The Allegheny County district attorney has charged a vending firm and its owner with operating an illegal gambling business, the second set of charges to grow out of an ongoing grand jury probe into poker machines.

Kenneth J. Angelo, and his firm, Angelo Amusements, both of Elizabeth Township, face charges of conspiracy, corrupt organizatons, dealing with proceeds of unlawful activities and gambling devices.

The charges came more than a year after a countywide raid of businesses resulted in the seizure of 248 video poker machines valued at $3,000 to $3,500 each. Half of those machines were owned by Angelo Amusements and the other half by Harry M. Murray Amusement Co., based in McKeesport.

Murray Amusement and its officers were arrested last week on similar charges.

The grand jury presentment said the Murray firm was owned and operated by Thomas M. Mooney, his sons Thomas J. Mooney and John Mooney, and his son-in-law, Eric Cooley. The firm also employed Donald Geiger as a repairman and Anton Leppo as a maintenance worker and general laborer.

The grand jury recommended charges against the Mooneys and Mr. Cooley, all of whom were charged with conspiracy and gambling devices.

According to the grand jury, George Brancolini, an employee of Angelo Amusements, testified that company officials split the cash proceeds of the machines with the businesses at which their machines were placed. Money was deposited into two bank accounts, one at Sky Bank, the other at National City.

Investigators found that from 2002 to 2007, Angelo Amusements took in roughly $2.6 million in cash deposits.

Mr. Brancolini told investigators that about 80 percent of that money was cash deposits attributable to the operation of illegal gambling machines.

Mr. Geiger of the Murray firm described a similar system of splitting proceeds with the business housing the machine.

Grand jurors said an analysis of the Murray business as well as the Mooney family, which operated the company, showed their business taking in at least $5.8 million from 2000 to 2007.

The sheer volume of bank records for the Murray and Mooney accounts, according to the grand jury, made a full analysis of their gambling income difficult.

News Added: 16 April, 2008

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