Prospect Park councilman admits role in illegal gambling operation
Anand Shah pleaded guilty to three charges and could face a 10-year prison term.
A Prospect Park councilman pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering and official misconduct in connection with an illegal gambling operation tied to the Lucchese crime family, state law enforcement officials announced Friday.
Anand U. Shah, 44, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Amirata in Morris County to first-degree racketeering, first-degree money laundering and second-degree official misconduct.
Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4. Under a plea agreement, the state will recommend a 10-year prison sentence. Shah would be required to serve 85% before becoming eligible for parole. He must also forfeit his public office and never hold a public office again.
Shah admitted he worked as a sportsbook agent and poker manager and conspired with other members of the gambling operation, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. He had subagents working under him and managed financial transactions involving proceeds from the operation.
From January 2017 to August 2023, criminal proceeds directly attributable to Shah totaled $900,084, according to state officials.
Shah also admitted that he directed money from the operation to his political campaign. People who had gambling debts and owed him money contributed to his campaign instead of repaying those debts, and he forgave their outstanding balances if they donated, according to state officials.
Shah also worked as a manager and host at illegal poker clubs that collected a “rake,” which is a percentage of money wagered by players that went to the house.
“Public officials have a special duty to ensure that they follow the law,” Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement. “The defendant not only broke the law, but he then used criminal proceeds to fund his political campaign. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that no one is above the law.”
Shah is among 42 people indicted since April 2025 following a two-year investigation into illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion and money laundering tied to the Lucchese crime family. Earlier this year, eight people admitted their roles in operating illegal poker games and an online sportsbook in association with the crime family.
Officials said the investigation identified $4.79 million in proceeds from the operation.
Krystal Knapp is the founder, executive director, and publisher of The Jersey Vindicator and the founder of Planet Princeton. She has more than two decades of experience reporting in New Jersey, including 10 years at The Trenton Times, where she was the newsroom’s public records and computer-assisted reporting expert. Her work has been recognized by the New Jersey Press Association and the Center for Cooperative Media. You can reach her at Krystal AT jerseyvindicator.org.