An Indian-origin US politician in New Jersey has been permanently barred from holding public office after admitting his role in an illegal gambling operation linked to the Lucchese crime family, which prosecutors said earned him about $900,000.Anand Shah, 44, a councilman in the Borough of Prospect Park, pleaded guilty to racketeering, money laundering and official misconduct. He resigned from the council on Friday after his plea became public and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced.Under his plea agreement, Shah faces up to 10 years in state prison. He must also forfeit his public position and is permanently disqualified from holding public office in New Jersey.According to the NJ Attorney General’s Office, Shah worked as a sportsbook agent and poker manager for an illegal gambling network that operated in restaurants across Morris, Passaic and Bergen counties between January 2017 and August 2023.Shah hosted illegal poker games, worked with subagents, and collected “rakes,” a portion taken by the operator from poker games. Prosecutors said the operation generated $900,084 for him.He also admitted using proceeds from the illegal operation to support his political activities. Shah would forgive gambling debts owed to him when debtors instead contributed money to his campaign fund, prosecutors said.“Public officials have a special duty to ensure that they follow the law,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. “The defendant not only broke the law, but he then used criminal proceeds to fund his political campaign.”Davenport said Shah’s guilty plea demonstrated that “no one is above the law”.Shah served on the Prospect Park council with responsibility for finance, economic development and insurance. He had remained in office after being indicted in April 2025, despite calls from Mayor Mohamed T Khairullah and other council members for him to step down.Khairullah announced Shah’s resignation on Friday, saying officials had previously sought his departure while also respecting his right to due process.“When Mr. Shah was first charged in 2025, I joined my colleagues in calling for his resignation,” the mayor said. “At the same time, we respected his right to due process and allowed the judicial process to take its course.”The borough will now move to fill the vacant council seat.“Prospect Park is bigger than any one individual. We will move forward together,” Khairullah said.Shah’s case formed part of a wider investigation into an illegal gambling network linked to the Lucchese crime family. Authorities charged 42 people in connection with the operation, which included backroom poker games and other illegal betting activities.Investigators raided four illegal poker clubs connected to the network in April 2025 and subsequently identified additional locations associated with the operation.The years-long investigation uncovered about $4.79 million in suspected criminal proceeds,as per the press release. Authorities said members of the operation used businesses and shell companies to conceal gambling proceeds.New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Director Theresa L. Hilton said organised crime groups continued to operate illegal gambling businesses despite the availability of legal gambling in the state.“Traditional organized crime remains a real problem in New Jersey,” Hilton said. “Even with a variety of legal gambling options, illegal gambling rings run by organized crime continue to operate in backrooms and online.”She said law enforcement would continue working to dismantle such operations regardless of where they operated.Thirty-eight defendants have pleaded guilty in connection with the investigation, while two others continue to face charges.Authorities identified alleged Lucchese crime family members George Zappola, Joseph R. Perna and John G. Perna as high-level organisers of the gambling network. All three have pleaded guilty to racketeering in agreements under which prosecutors will recommend reduced prison sentences.
