A 49-year-old Canton, Ohio resident named Steven Saris recently entered a guilty plea to counts of tax fraud and running an unauthorized gaming enterprise. The case provides insight into a complex operation that involved several illicit gambling facilities in Northeast Ohio and beyond and lasted for more than ten years. Saris’ activities exposed the difficulties faced by law enforcement in combating organized crime in the gaming industry in addition to defrauding the IRS.
The Illegal Gambling Enterprise
Between 2009 and 2022, Steven Saris was the owner and operator of multiple illicit gambling enterprises in Northeast Ohio, including Café 62, Lucky’s, Winner’s World, and Spin City. Saris’s business ventures were not confined to Ohio; he also operated in Springfield, Ohio, and several Florida locales. To hide his involvement, Saris set up a network of nominee owners to obscure who really owned these businesses.
Tax Evasion and Money Laundering
With an anticipated revenue of more than $8.5 million between 2016 and 2021, Saris’s illegal endeavours brought him large earnings. Tragically, Saris neglected to pay taxes on these earnings or file tax forms, which cost the IRS an astounding $2.8 million in unpaid taxes. To add to the elaborate network of money laundering that accompanied his business, Saris used the money he made from his illegal activities to support his opulent lifestyle, which included investing in residential properties and gambling millions of dollars at licensed casinos.
Legal Ramifications and Sentencing
Saris will be subject to harsh punishments for his illegal actions as he waits for his August 8 sentence. In addition to tax evasion and many counts of money laundering, he is accused of running an illicit gambling enterprise. If proven guilty, Saris faces a possible 10-year prison term for money laundering and a five-year sentence for each of the charges of tax evasion and running an unlicensed gaming enterprise. The seriousness of his crimes may also result in supervised release, financial penalties, and restitution.
Deception and Continued Operation
Saris persisted in his unlawful activities in spite of the law enforcement sweep that began in July 2018 and involved search warrants being carried out at many illicit gaming locations. He went so far as to seem to be cooperative while approaching law enforcement officials, all the while spreading lies and hiding important details regarding his continuous actions. In addition to highlighting the insolence of people like Saris, this dishonest behaviour emphasizes the difficulties authorities confront in breaking up organized crime networks.
Law Enforcement Collaboration
The IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Treasury were among the law enforcement agencies that worked together to investigate Saris’s illicit gambling operation. Finding and prosecuting Saris’s illegal actions also required the assistance of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission-Major Crimes Task Force, and the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office.
An example of the sophisticated nature of illicit gambling businesses and the enormous difficulties they present to regulatory bodies and law enforcement is the case of Steven Saris. Saris’s admission of guilt serves as a warning about the value of thorough investigation and prosecution in the fight against organized crime and the defence of communities from its detrimental impacts. The verdict of Saris’s imprisonment will probably serve as a clear warning to others involved in similar illegal activity about what awaits them when the legal process plays out.
