Individuals busted in an illegal gambling operation were also stashing weapons, drugs and over $120,000 in cash.
In the wake of charging six people with unlawfully running a gambling operation, detectives recovered six guns, including two assault rifles, hundreds of narcotics pills, gambling records and the cash, said District Attorney Richard Brown.
“An investigation that started with gambling has now led to the recovery of a deadly and dangerous combination of guns and drugs,” Brown said.
In February, the NYPD’s Queens Narcotic Division began an investigation of an illegal gambling operation being run out of a central wire room in Brooklyn.
The wire room allegedly maintained a number of fax machines that received betting slips from over 30 betting parlors throughout Queens, Brooklyn and Nassau County.
Saul Montalvo, 44, of Ozone Park and his partner Juan Arias, 41, of the Bronx are accused with opening and running the operation. Montalvo’s sister, Veronica, also allegedly head the gambling joint. A second wire room was discovered in Woodhaven.
Montalvo and his wife Beatriz Velez, 33, were charged with various counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a firearm, stolen property, promoting gambling and possession of gambling records. Montalvo and his son, Daniel, were charged additionally in a gambling case, and Daniel was arrested and charged with various counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
The three each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the weapons charges, according to officials.
During a search of Montalvo’s Lafayette Street home, police recovered over 200 prescription pills, loaded pistols and thousands of dollars in cash from a safe inside the master bedroom’s closet. Police also found two loaded assault rifles as well as three other magazines all loaded with over 10 rounds of ammunition, all found in the home’s laundry area.
“The nexus between illegal drugs and violence is never far,” said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
