Overview
- Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced the arrests and charges Thursday, with first appearances set and detention hearings to follow.
- Authorities accuse Joseph M. "Little Joe" Perna of financing the scheme and say his son, Joseph R. Perna, ran day-to-day operations with dozens of subordinate agents.
- Investigators say the operation used offshore gambling websites and processed roughly $2 million in transactions between 2022 and 2024.
- The case began with a January 2024 inquiry into suspicious gambling at New Jersey ports and grew into a nationwide bookmaker network based in Essex and Bergen counties.
- The NCAA said it is aware of the involvement of college athletes in the alleged network and is reviewing the matter.