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Who is Anand Shah? Indian-origin New Jersey councilman held for illegal gambling

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Who is Anand Shah? Indian-origin New Jersey councilman held for illegal gambling


Anand Shah, an Indian-origin councilman, was arrested with 39 others on charges of racketeering, money laundering and other offences in connection with an illegal gambling scheme which netted more than $3 million, reported news agency AP.

Anand Shah is a council member of Prospect Park in New Jersey and also a local business owner who was arrested for illegal gambling(FaceBook/Councilman Anand Shah)

The 42-year-old managed illegal poker games and an online sports book, according to law enforcement quoted by Associated Press. He will not face official misconduct charges in connection with his public office as a council member in the city.

Also Read: Excel sheets, fake jobs: How Indian-origin man planned ‘elaborate’ rapes in Australia

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Who is Anand Shah?

Anand Shah, whose family hails from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, was a resident of Prospect Park, New Jersey, and was also a local business owner.

He had owned a franchisee of Subway and Papa John’s Pizza for more than 15 years, along with 12 other restaurants as well, as per an interview in 2016 that was published on northjersey.com.

Anand Shah is reportedly the first Indian-American to be elected to the New Jersey borough council from Passaic County.

Why was he arrested?

New Jersey state police superintendent Pat Callahan told AP that the arrests came after a two-year long investigation into the illegal gambling activities of the Lucchese crime family, involving both federal and state agents.

Along with Shah, the George Zappola, a prominent member of the mafia had also been arrested.

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Also Read: ‘Touched thighs, waist’: Indian-origin man accused of sexual abuse on flight, charged

Officials uncovered four illegal poker clubs in Totowa, Garfield and Woodland Park as well as in Paterson, where machines were stored, to operate illegal gambling dens.

The online operations, of which Shah was a part, involved various shell corporations and other businesses used to conceal earnings from gambling.

The gambling ring’s operations included social clubs that had poker games and gambling machines, as well as an online sportsbook operated through websites based outside the country.

Managers collected “rent,” from poker hosts for permitting the games to occur and oversaw workers at the clubs.

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Among those charged, a 48-year-old of Indian-origin, Samir Nadkarni, 48, of Longwood, Florida was also caught for acting as a sportsbook sub-agent/poker host.



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New Jersey

10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey

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10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey


MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.

The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.

Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.

“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.

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The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.

School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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New Jersey

Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper

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Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper


An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.

Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.

The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.

The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.

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Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.

He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.

investigation, and no additional information is available.



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NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole

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NJ casino workers continue push to end smoking loophole


TRENTON, N.J. (WPVI) — New Jersey casino workers, who are pushing to permanently ban smoking in their workplaces, held a rally in Trenton on Monday.

A hearing was held to discuss a lawsuit that aims to close the smoking loophole in the Garden State.

For years, casino workers have been pursuing protections against secondhand smoke in their workplaces.

RELATED | Judge allows smoking to continue in Atlantic City casinos, dealing blow to workers

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New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act largely bans indoor smoking, but casinos have a long-standing exemption.

The lawsuit filed last April by the United Auto Workers, which represents dealers at the Bally’s, Caesars and Tropicana casinos.

In August 2024, a judge ruled in favor of the casinos to allow smoking to continue.

“Casino workers are expected to clock in to work every day despite inevitably facing a toxic environment that could cause countless health issues, including cancer, heart disease, and asthma,” said Nancy Erika Smith, the lawyer representing Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) and the UAW on Monday.

“We’re asking the court to find the exemption in New Jersey’s Smoke-Free Air Act unconstitutional and void it immediately. We hope this case will serve as a precedent for casinos across the country to close their smoking loopholes and stop poisoning their workers,” added Smith.

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The casinos have warned that thousands of jobs and millions in gambling revenue and taxes could be lost if smoking was banned.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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