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Costa Rica-based VIPBettors.com and BetCapri.com were at the center of an extensive crackdown on illegal sports betting in the state of Rhode Island this back in April of 2015. The BetCapri website can still be accessed to this day.
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17 individuals including a Major League Baseball player with the Arizona Diamondbacks, were charged with Organized Criminal Gambling and Conspiracy for their role in running what police say was a Mafia-connected illegal sports betting ring that took in and undisclosed amount of money.
It was not immediately clear if any of those arrested had controlling interests in either of the two websites.
State Police searched the following Rhode Island locations April 12 using search warrants obtained in their investigation:
55 Pine Ridge Drive, Cranston
The Cozy Grill restaurant located at 440 Warwick Avenue, Warwick - Owned by Jason Pilderian
400 Narragansett Parkway (West B3), Warwick
25 Talbut Road, Scituate • 1710 Phenix Avenue, Cranston
26 Beach Row, Narragansett
GiGi’s Pizzeria located at 647 Main Avenue, Warwick
The Portside restaurant located at 321 Great Island Rd., Narraganset
125 Pleasant Street, Cranston
Storage Unit 3045, 604 Park Avenue, Cranston
The raids were termed “Operation Free Roll“.
James Petrella and Timothy Moretti were found to be running a different sportsbook, VIPBettors.
Col. Steven O’Donnell of the RI State Police characterized the gambling websites as a combination of money launderer and tax shelter. O’Donnell told the Rhode Island press. “Both these websites, BetCapri.com and VIPBettors.com are offshore gambling websites based in Panama and Costa Rica. There’s no taxes, its clandestine and we allege that these individuals made a lot of money in an illegal business.”
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
