In US, Gujarat man pleads guilty in $9.36 million gambling racket

An Indian man from Gujarat, living in New York, has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a $9.36 million gambling racket in Missouri, according to US federal investigators. Sunilkumar Patel, 53, admitted to running six businesses posing as amusement arcades, when in reality they were fronts for illegal gambling operations. The scheme generated over $9.36 million and involved wire fraud, illegal gambling, and money laundering.

Patel's guilty plea marks the first significant development since the 72-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He now faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the counts he pleaded guilty to, with the final sentence determined by a court hearing. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide DOJ initiative to combat illegal gambling and cartels.