Ex-New York State Trooper Avoids Prison For Gambling Ring Tip-Off

Posted on: December 20, 2023, 12:44h. 

Last updated on: December 21, 2023, 10:58h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

A retired New York State Police sergeant was given probation this week after he admitted he tipped-off an illegal gaming ring about a police inquiry.

Thomas J. Loewke
Thomas J. Loewke, pictured above. The former New York State Trooper was given probation for a gambling-related charge. (Image: WHAM)

Thomas J. Loewke, 52, of Rochester, was given two years’ probation by a federal judge on Monday after being convicted of obstruction of a state or local law enforcement investigation.

$4K Fine

The retired state trooper also must complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $4,000 fine. If he completes both, he’ll avoid spending time in prison.

The judge could have sentenced Loewke to up to five years in prison and forced him to pay a $250K fine. When giving him probation, the judge considered Loewke’s record of service, as well as his character references.

Loewke let the owners of an illicit, Rochester-based online gambling ring know about the investigation, according to the Buffalo News.

The investigation, which began in October 2020, focused on gambling activity led by Louis P. Ferrari II of Rochester and his colleagues. Ferrari owned an illegal bookmaking operation run through the sports700.com website.

The ring “conducted, financed, managed, supervised, directed, and owned an illegal gambling business” that generated profits of more than $10 million from approximately 1,700 bettors from 2016 to 2021, according to a federal criminal complaint.

Ferrari Changes Website

Loewke notified Ferrari about the police inquiry on Dec. 27, 2021, at which time, Ferrari changed the password for his betting website, altered the design of the website, and deleted information on prior wagers, police said.

Ferrari was arrested for conspiracy, transmission of wagering information, operation of an illegal gambling business, and money laundering. His federal court case is pending, according to RochesterFirst.com, a regional news site. In total, seven Rochester men were charged.

The judge pointed out that this is a crime involved [in] the alleged tipping-off of the gambling ring, they have already made an arrest in this case,” defense attorney Michael Schiano told Rochester TV station WROC. “So, in terms of whether or not his activities or actions stopped this, they didn’t, they got indicted, they’re all still charged, they’re facing federal gambling charges.”

Loewke also had a gambling problem, the feds revealed.