A Wayne man plead guilty last week at the Morris County Superior Court in Morristown, NJ to two counts of maintaining a gambling resort in Parsippany and Pequannock. The plea agreement will result in probation, 200 hours of community service, and the forfeiture of almost $90,000 of gambling proceeds which were seized. The defendant had been the owner of Connections Internet Cafe which had two locations, one in Parsippany and one in Pequannock. 87 computers and flat screen TV’s were also seized and will be forfeited as part of the plea agreement. The defendant was the owner of these establishments from November 2011 through July 2012 when the places were raided. He took money from third parties who ran the businesses for him and engaged in gambling activities, which he knew were taking place. He was one of four arrested in July when the businesses were shut down by police.
The business clearly advertised on Facebook and YouTube as an internet cafe that offered gambling payouts and prizes. For additional information, please see the NJ.com article.