SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KOAM) – The US Attorney’s Office Western District held a press conference Friday announcing indictment of nine individuals charged as part of a multi-million-dollar illegal gambling ring operating in southwest Missouri.
The illegal gambling conspiracy occurred at six locations in southwest Missouri including one in Joplin. Each of the defendants face multiple charges in the 72-count indictment.
- Rahulkumar D. Patel, 40, India citizen, residing in US (Washington)
- Manishkumar M. Patel, 44, India citizen, residing in US (Georgia)
- Mitulkumar M. Barot, 40, of Georgia
- Sunilkumar N. Patel, 52, India citizen, residing in US (New York)
- Tushar R. Patel, 39, of Georgia
- Azghar Ali, 51, of New York
- Harshadkumar S. Chaudhari, 38, India citizen, residing in US (Colorado)
- Vipul A. Patel, 40, of Arkansas
- Mohammed Iphtekar Ali Ajgar, 50, of Georgia
“Illegal gambling operations affect the citizens of the neighborhoods and communities where they are located as well as the local economy. We worked closely with our law enforcement partners to shut down this criminal conspiracy and bring those responsible to justice. This case is an example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together to tackle organized criminal activity,” said Acting United States Attorney Jeff Ray.
“What began as a local investigation quickly expanded into a large, multi-jurisdictional case resulting in numerous indictments and a significant positive impact across our community,” Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams said. “We’re grateful for the strong partnerships we have with federal agencies that made it possible to build a case of this scale.”…