Father-Son Duo Arrested, Charged In Alleged Illegal Gambling Operation

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GREENSBURG (KDKA) - An illegal gambling ring was taking bets on seemingly anything and everything, according to police.

Authorities have charged 13 suspects for running numbers in what law enforcement calls an extensive illegal gambling operation. The key players, according to investigators, 88-year-old Robert Iannelli and his don Rodney Iannelli.

The duo ran the operation which at time garnered profits on a weekly basis of $40,000 to $50,000.

The attorney general's office began their investigations of the father and son in 2015. According to the 21-page indictment, the Iannelli's, along with 11 other defendants, used the Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio State lottery's number for their own alleged illegal lottery.

Illegal sports books were also a large part of the Iannelli enterprises, according to the attorney general's office. The suspects allegedly used cell phones and fax machines to collect gamblers picks.

Authorities say this is not the first time Robert Ianelli has been in trouble with the law. In the 1970s, he spent time in jail after he said no to testifying in front of a federal grand jury targeting organized crime.

In the 1990s he was sent to jail again after being convicted of illegal bookmaking and other charges.