Overview
- All 22 defendants in Operation Porterhouse Parlay pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court in Hammond after arraignments on gambling and extortion charges.
- Prosecutors say the ring, led by James “Jimmy the Greek” Gerodemos and Dean Gialamas out of Gino’s Steakhouse and Paragon Restaurant, ran from January 2021 until late-April raids and involved arrests in Florida, California, and Puerto Rico.
- Investigators describe a credit-based bookmaking system that took bets online and in person and then settled losses each week.
- The indictment outlines threats used to collect debts, including a message to a Texas bettor that referenced his daughter at Valparaiso University.
- The court set discovery deadlines for June 29 and July 31 and a Sept. 10 status hearing, and prosecutors expect a three-month trial, with five defendants still in U.S. Marshal custody.