Former New York State Police (NYSP) trooper Thomas J. Loewke, 51, has pleaded guilty before US District Judge David G. Larimer to tipping off members of an unlawful $10m sports gambling ring in Rochester to ongoing investigations.
US Attorney Trini E. Ross announced last week that Loewke confessed to “obstruction of a state or local law enforcement investigation.” The news arm of the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York took to Twitter to share the guilty plea:
In January, the DOJ charged Loewke for his role in the illegal gambling operation, which was managed by multiple owners through accounts on the website sport700.com. Last week, Assistant US Attorney Meghan K. McGuire stated that in October 2020, local and federal law enforcement started a probe into the illegal gambling activities of Louis P. Ferrari II and others.
changing the password, appearance, and history of bets
According to the DOJ news release, Loewke disclosed the existence of a police investigation to Ferrari. In turn, Ferrari used the information and tried to mislead the investigation by changing the password, appearance, and history of bets placed through his sports betting website.
While multiple charges including money laundering remain pending against Ferrari, Loewke will learn of his fate when Judge Larimer sentences him on September 6. The ex-state trooper faces a maximum five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.