As released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Peter J. Smith United States Attorney.

Middle District of Pennsylvania.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, announced today that criminal charges were filed against Pennsylvania Coin, LLC, a Pennsylvania corporation, in U.S. District Court in Williamsport yesterday.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Pennsylvania Coin, LLC is charged in a one-count Information with conspiracy to commit money laundering between January 2007 and October 2012. Allegedly, Pennsylvania Coin, LLC maintained and operated illegal video gambling devices in establishments in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Patrons at the establishments received cash payments based on credits; Pennsylvania Coin LLC received fees from the owners of the establishments and allegedly split proceeds from the use of the gambling devices with owners of establishments.

Pennsylvania Coin, LLC allegedly used its share of the proceeds to pay employees and maintain the devices, established accounts at financial institutions where the proceeds were deposited and co-mingled the illegal funds with legitimate business income to conceal the nature, source and amount of the proceeds from the illegal gambling activity, in violation of the federal anti-money laundering statute.

The charge arises out of the seizure of 288 illegal gambling devices and over $77,000 in U.S. currency from 180 business establishments in October 2012 by agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement as part of a joint investigation.

Filed simultaneously with the Information is a plea agreement which is subject to approval of the Court. The plea agreement provides that Pennsylvania Coin, LLC will enter a guilty plea and forfeit to the government $1,427,866 and the 288 seized gambling machines.

Assistant United States Attorney Wayne P. Samuelson is assigned to prosecute the case.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statues and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is a fine of $500,000 and a five-year term of probation. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors when sentencing. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence.

Photo/Natalie Cake