Default Edison raid nets arrests in illegal gambling

wanbet-bc518

Thursday, June 21, 2007
BY SUE EPSTEIN
Star-Ledger Staff

Five men were arrested early yesterday on charges they were running an illegal gambling operation primarily focused on poker games in an Edison apartment. Nine patrons of the establishment received summonses for illegal gambling charges, police said.

Lt. Joseph Shannon, a spokesman for the Edison Township Police Department, said the arrests followed a month-long investiga tion into the operation at 40 Brunswick Ave. Authorities believe the operation began in March, Shan non said.

Timothy Fennessey, 23, of Edison, and Joseph Piedilato, 23, of Cambridge, Md., were charged with maintaining a gambling resort, promoting gambling and maintain ing gambling records. In addition to the gambling charges, Fennes sey faces charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Fennessey and Piedilato were being held yesterday in the Middlesex County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Eric Rodriguez, 24, of Metu chen, Brian Gee-Shephard, 29, of New York City and Alexander Py sniak, 19, of Woodbridge, were also charged with promoting gambling. They were released after being charged.

Shannon said there were nine people playing poker in the residence when police raided the place at 12:05 a.m. yesterday. They received summonses for illegal gambling.

Shannon said authorities also seized $3,000 in cash, poker tables and other assorted gambling equipment.

The operators charged membership fees to enter and took a cut of the gambling proceeds, Shannon said. The investigation was a joint venture between the Edison Police Department's vice and narcotics unit, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the State Police.