Gujarat man pleads guilty in US in $9.36 million illegal gambling case

Sunilkumar N Patel, 53, a New York resident, pleaded guilty in federal court in Missouri.

An Indian national of Gujarati origin has pleaded guilty to his role in a multi-million-dollar illegal gambling conspiracy that allegedly operated through six businesses in southwest Missouri, generating nearly USD 9.36 million (approximately Rs 89 crore) in gross proceeds.Sunilkumar N Patel, 53, a New York resident, pleaded guilty in federal court in Missouri to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

Six Missouri locations

Patel admitted that he and his co-conspirators collectively obtained about USD 9,362,114 through the wire fraud scheme and illegal gambling businesses and later carried out financial transactions to launder the proceeds, the US Attorney’s Office said.The operation allegedly ran under the guise of “internet amusement arcade games, skill game arcades, and adult arcades”. Prosecutors said the businesses instead operated contests of chance, gambling devices, and slot machines in violation of Missouri and federal laws.The six locations included four businesses in Springfield – Big Win Arcade #1, Big Win Arcade #2, Spin Hitters and Vegas Arcade. The other two were Spin Zone in Joplin and Vegas City Arcade in Branson West.Patel and his co-conspirators also hired local employees to work at the businesses, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

Patel among nine charged

Patel was among nine people charged in a 72-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Missouri, on May 14, 2025.The indictment alleged that the group operated the businesses between July 1, 2022, and May 13, 2025. All nine defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and operating illegal gambling businesses.All nine also faced at least one count of wire fraud, while eight were charged with money laundering.Patel pleaded guilty before US Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J Epps Jr. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, up to 20 years for conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, up to five years for conspiracy to commit money laundering, and up to 20 years each for the money laundering and wire fraud-related counts, according to the US Attorney’s Office.Federal law sets the maximum sentences, while the court will determine the actual sentence based on federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.A sentencing date will be set after a pre-sentence investigation by the US Probation Office.Several federal, state, and local agencies investigated the case, including the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigations, and police departments in Springfield and Joplin.The case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Casey Clark.