Maura Healey said Four Star Vending was a front for the illegal gambling operation.
Attorney General Maura Healey announced a bust of an illegal gambling and money laundering scheme on Tuesday. The illegal gambling syndicate had operations in bars and social clubs throughout Massachusetts and New York states.
Given the wide range of distribution, Four Star Vending’s illegal gaming operations were complex, operating like a legal gaming machine distributor might. Four Star Vending placed video slots and video poker machines in bars and nightclubs throughout the two states.
Four Star Vending: Illegal Slots
The establishments’ owners would split the profits with Four Star Vending. Because the company had legitimate businesses operations services vending machines, jukeboxes, and ATMs, they were able to launder money from the illegal businesses. Having such an operation proved to be an unwise decision, though.
Prosecutors from Maura Healey’s office allege that Middleton residents William and Bonnie Morley collected more than $1 million in illicit income from the illegal gaming operation. That million dollars could land the two of them in prison for years, due to three gambling-related charges: running an illegal gambling operation, money laundering, and conspiracy.
State Police Led the Raids
State Police detectives headed the investigation. That led to grand jury indictments in March 2017. The Morleys were released on personal recognizance and pleaded not guilty to the charges in court this week.
Terrance Kennedy, the defense attorney for the Morleys, challenged the grand jury evidence. When asked whether the couple operated their legitimate business as a cover for their illegal operations, Kennedy said, “I completely disagree with that.”
Maura Healy Press Conferences
Maura Healey gave a press conference in which she accused the Morleys of doing just that. She said in her statements to the press, “We allege the owners and employees of this gaming company used their business as a front to illegally launder over a million dollars for their own profit.”
Terrance Kennedy downplayed the charges. While he stated that Four Star Vending is no longer in business, Kennedy suggested either the charges would be dropped or a plea bargain was in the works. Mr. Kennedy added, “We are hopeful there will be a fairly quick resolution to the matter.”
Jonathan Blodgett on Illegal Gambling Machines
Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, who brought the grand jury charges, said the Morleys preyed on the public at large. Blodgett said of Four Star Vending, “These illegal gaming devices…allowed the defendants to pick the pockets of countless unsuspecting patrons.”
Anthony Mazzola and Richard Calhoun
Two other individuals were indicted along with William and Bonnie Morley. Those men were Anthony Mazzola of Newton and Richard Calhoun of Peabody. Anthony Mazzola acts as a manager at a club which offered illegal machine gambling, while Richard Calhoun was a direct employee of Four Star Vending.
Both men are expected to be arraigned at a later time. Neither answered media calls about the case, but remain free at the moment. Maura Healey declined to state which club Anthony Mazzola managed.
Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission Raids
In recent years, the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission has raided a number of clubs for offering illegal gambling. The ABCC investigations were complicated, because the gaming often took place in private social clubs, which do not have the traffic (or potential informers) that other gaming establishments have.
In one case, 5 different private clubs in the town of Beverly were raided. Such investigations take months or years, because of the need of agents to confirm the illegal gambling with personal visits to the clubs. The ABCC helped with the investigation of Four Star Vending.
