American council member funded campaign with crime money
A New Jersey council member admitted to involvement in an illegal gambling ring and raked in about $900,000 from the activity. A significant portion of the money was used to fund his political campaign. He is permanently barred from holding public office and faces up to 10 years in prison.
A member of the Prospect Park City Council in New Jersey, Anand Shah, admitted to involvement in an illegal gambling ring linked to the Lucchese crime family. Shah, 44, pleaded guilty to charges of running a criminal enterprise, money laundering, and official misconduct. According to authorities, Shah raked in about $900,000, with a significant portion of the profits used to fund his political campaign. New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced a plea deal over the weekend. Shah faces up to 10 years in state prison and is barred from holding public office, having already resigned from his position. The prosecution is expected to seek the maximum sentence under the agreement.
Shah served as a sports betting agent and poker game manager in the gambling ring that operated in restaurants in Morris, Passaic, and Bergen counties in New Jersey between January 2017 and August 2023. Parallel to his public role as a council member for finance and economic development in the borough of Prospect Park, he hosted illegal poker games. According to authorities, he operated through sub-agents and collected "commissions" from the games, which yielded him $900,084. Shah admitted that in cases where people owed him money, he would waive the debt if those individuals donated to his campaign fund.
"Those who serve in public office have a special duty to ensure they follow the law," said Davenport. "The defendant not only broke the law, but subsequently used funds obtained through criminal activity to finance his political campaign."
According to authorities, the Lucchese crime family oversaw the poker games, for which 42 people have been indicted. In April 2025, police raided four illegal poker clubs linked to the family. During the raids, additional locations linked to the network were uncovered. The investigation revealed $4.79 million in criminal proceeds suspected to be linked to the activity. According to the Attorney General's office, organized crime figures used shell companies and businesses to hide the funds.
"Traditional organized crime remains a real problem in New Jersey," said Theresa L. Hilton, Director of the Division of Criminal Justice in the state. According to her, even alongside a variety of legal gambling options, illegal gambling networks operated by organized crime continue to operate in hideouts and on the internet. 38 people have already pleaded guilty as part of the gambling investigation, while two others still face charges. According to authorities, George Zappulla, Joseph R. Ferrara, and John J. Ferrara, who are alleged to be members of the Lucchese family, were among the senior organizers of the gambling ring. The three pleaded guilty to running a criminal enterprise under agreements in which the prosecution recommended lighter prison sentences.
