Hicksville man indicted with 16 others in illegal sports betting ring, prosecutors say

A Hicksville man was among 17 people from New York, California, Nevada and Arizona who were indicted Wednesday, accused of participating in an online sports gambling ring that prosecutors said handled $32 million worth of illegal bets each year.

Michael Galoyan, 32, of Dean Street in Hicksville, is charged with being an agent in the multistate operation and faces charges of enterprise corruption, first- and third-degree money laundering, first-degree promoting gambling and fifth-degree conspiracy, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a news release announcing the 126-count indictment.

"Over the last few years -- working with our federal, state and local law enforcement colleagues -- we have taken down a number of these operations and put them out of business," Brown said. "These cases, I believe, have put a significant dent in illegal gambling nationwide -- and have saved individuals across the country millions of dollars in gambling losses."

As many as 14 of the defendants, including New York State residents Johnson Mathew, 31, of Metropolitan Avenue in Kew Gardens, and Jimmy Joseph, 31, of Butler Street in Congers, were arrested and in custody Wednesday night awaiting arraignment, officials said.

The indictments come after officials launched a probe in February 2014 that included investigators from the NYPD, the FBI, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Los Angeles Police Department's Trans-National Organized Crime Unit.

Brown said the defendants used an offshore Internet gambling website to book bets on college basketball, football, hockey and baseball. Prosecutors said they laundered their illegal revenue by depositing and withdrawing large sums of cash from banks in the United States.

The defendants are charged with crimes including enterprise corruption -- a violation of New York State's Organized Crime Control Act -- money laundering, promoting gambling and conspiracy, and face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.