NJ councilman banned from public office for role in illegal gambling ring tied to Lucchese crime family

Source: New York Post

A New Jersey politician has been permanently barred from holding public office after he admitted to his role in an illegal gambling ring tied to the Lucchese crime family, where he pocketed nearly $1 million – a majority of which he used to fund his political campaign. Prospect Park Councilman Anand Shah pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering, and official misconduct and faces up to 10 years in prison for the scheme, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced Friday. Shah, 44, was a sportsbook agent and poker manager in the gambling ring that operated across restaurants in the Garden State’s Morris, Passaic, and Bergen counties between January 2017 and August 2023.