Multiple arrests have been made in connection with the bust of a large-scale illegal gambling and money laundering ring along Florida’s southeast coast, authorities said.

The arrests are part of the years-long investigation dubbed “Operations Fools Treasure,” Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office officials said.

Beginning in 2022, the sheriff’s office Money Laundering Unit in the Narcotics Division was able to identify multiple businesses operating illegal gambling houses using Las Vegas-style video slot machines that offered cash prizes, officials said.

Florida law prohibits the machines outside of regulated facilities including pari-mutuels and certain tribal gaming establishments.

Four locations in West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach and Zephyrhills were eventually linked to illegal gambling.

Two Miami businesses were also identified as supplying the slot machines to the illegal establishments, authorities said.

The investigation involving multiple state and local law enforcement agencies led to nine search warrants and five arrest warrants.

Court records allege multiple businesses and bank accounts, as well as ATMs located in the establishments, were used for the money laundering of the proceeds of the gambling ring.

Investigators discovered large amounts of cash deposits into the bank accounts, including more than $763,000 from Oct. 20, 2022 through Oct. 19, 2023, the court records showed.

Two suspects – Ritesh Patel, 33, and Nova Revez Roffey, 41, were arrested in Palm Beach County on charges including conspiracy money laundering, keeping a gambling house, conducting an unlawful lottery and unlawful possession of slot machine devices, records showed.

Another two suspects – Eric David Silverstein and Justin Earl Silverstein, were arrested in Miami-Dade. The two are the alleged owners of the companies that provided the illegal slot machines.

Miami-Dade Corrections

More arrests were in the process of being made, officials said.