Georgia Man Pleads Guilty In Multimillion-Dollar Missouri Gambling Conspiracy

India-West News Desk

SPRINGFIELD, MO- Tushar R. Patel, a 40-year-old Indian national living in Georgia, has pleaded guilty to federal charges connected to an illegal gambling and money laundering operation in southwest Missouri.

Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.

Federal prosecutors said Patel and his co-conspirators earned about $9.5 million through illegal gambling businesses operating at multiple locations in southwest Missouri.

According to court records, the businesses operated under the guise of internet amusement arcade games, skill game arcades, and adult arcades. Prosecutors said the establishments used gambling devices, contests of chance, and slot machines in violation of Missouri and federal law.

Authorities said Patel and others also carried out financial transactions involving money from the operation.

Patel was among nine individuals charged in a 72-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield on May 14, 2025. Prosecutors alleged the conspiracy operated between July 2022 and May 2025.

All nine defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and operating illegal gambling businesses. In addition, all nine defendants faced at least one wire fraud charge, while eight were also charged with money laundering offenses.

Patel faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud conspiracy charge, five years on the illegal gambling conspiracy charge, and up to 20 years on the money laundering conspiracy charge. A sentencing date has not yet been announced.