Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Police arrested a Hamilton man for allegedly running a speakeasy and
gambling parlor that netted more than $1 million a year, police Director
Joseph Santiago said yesterday. It's the fourth time Alvin D. Brown, 61, of
Crawford Court, has been arrested for gambling-related charges. This time he
was charged with operating a gambling facility out of a room on the side of
a home, called a clubhouse, at 296 North Willow Street that was called a
blight on the community. Brown was arrested on gambling charges in 1983,
1993 and in 1999, police said. The investigation started last November after
residents of the street complained to the Mayor Doug Palmer's office about
all the illegal activity happening at the site. People were coming and going
at all hours of the day and night, investigators said. "What's important to
us is this information came to us by the mayor's office of community
affairs. The citizens that cooperated with the police should be commended,"
said police Director Joseph Santiago. "This is what community policing is
all about. For certain our effectiveness greatly depends on our citizens'
involvement, Please, keep calling and you will see our officers responding."
It was while police Lieutenant Daniel Pagnotta, who heads up the police vice
crime division, investigators with Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini and the state
Department of Taxation were investigating the gambling operation, under the
code name "Operation March Madness," they discovered a large-scale drug
operation a few doors down. Because police decided it was more important to
get the drugs off the street, they organized operation "Weeping Willow" that
brought down numerous dealers and cleared 20 kilos of cocaine and other
drugs off the street earlier this year. On Friday, police executed search
warrants at three locations in addition to arresting Brown. At the first
location, 286 North Willow Street, police seized $14,876 in cash, sports
betting records, untaxed cigarettes, an adding machine and calculators. Also
in a room attached accessed by a door to the street, Brown allegedly sold
beer and hard liquor to those placing bets on numbers. He said he asked for
donations for the liquor, police said. At 17 Crawford Court, Hamilton, where
Brown lives, police seized $315,361 in cash, $5,394 in coins, a hand gun,
storage records, a 2003 Ford Explorer, a 1987 Mercedes Benz, a 2003 Mercedes
and two tubs of coins.

At a storage facility located at 43 Old Olden Avenue, police seized $405,931
in cash, gambling records and assorted bank statements.

In all they seized a total of $745,244.88 in cash, police said.

When Brown was arrested on Friday at the Old Willow Street house, police
found $4,720 in his pockets.

Police estimate that the numbers operation netted about $10,000 a day,
totaling about $1 million a year, said Detective Sergeant Pedro Medina.

It took about 700 man hours of police surveillance and investigation to
bring down the operation.

"As a Trenton police officer I am very thankful and ecstatic about the
success of this operation. We will continue combating not only the drug
problem, but any illegal activity that is detrimental to the quality of
living of our citizens," Pagnotta said.

"I would like to thank the citizens that provided the useful information and
assure all of our citizens that we are not taking a back seat to any crime
committed and that indeed our presence will be noticed."

Brown's is only the first arrest in connection with the gambling numbers
operation.

Police are continuing to investigate others -- possible "runners" --
connected with the operation.

Joe O'Gorman, with the state Department of Taxation, will investigate
Brown's
activities to make sure there were no violations of the tax statutes.

Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini said Brown faces a maximum sentence
of 5 years in prison if convicted.

"The most serious charges might come from the tax investigation," Bocchini
said.

"A significant criminal aspect could come from the taxation issues."