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Pennsylvania Private Club Busted for Illegal Gambling

PENNSYLVANIA – As reported by the (Allentown, Pennsylvania) Morning Call: "The 'forbidden doors' of the private Order of Fleas club in Easton concealed an $8.4 million illegal gambling operation that involved payoffs, kickbacks and money laundering schemes, U.S. Attorney Patrick L. Meehan charged at a news conference Thursday in Allentown.

"Meehan filed charges alleging two of the club's directors, Russell Hixon and James Durnin Sr., ran an illegal video poker operation with Easton vending machine company owners Habouk 'Bootsie'' Shumar and Anthony Hanni between January 1994 and June 2003.

"…In a practice known as 'smurfing' the club laundered illegal revenues in numerous deposits of under $10,000 to several Easton area banks, according to the charges.

"…Shumar and Hanni, operators of M&M Amusement Co. and Downtown Amusements Co., are charged with laundering $2.6 million through an employee's bank account, described only as a 'bagman.'

"…The defendants, who have yet to be arraigned, will be required to appear before U.S. District Judge Franklin Van Antwerpen in Easton. No date has been set.

"…The Order of Fleas, described as a private men's club at 601-617 Reynolds St., also was named as a defendant — allowing authorities to possibly confiscate the assets…"

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