The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District in
Philadelphia released the below information:
An indictment was unsealed today against an
alleged member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania organized crime family of La
Cosa Nostra (LCN) and his alleged associate. The indictment charges
various crimes involving the making of extortionate loans, conspiracy, and
collections of loans by extortionate means.
The charges were announced today
by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s
Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania and Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster of the FBI’s
Philadelphia Field Division.
The defendants charged in the
15-count indictment are Philadelphia LCN Family member Philip Narducci, 56, and
his associate James Gallo, 44.
All of the defendants were
arrested today and will make initial court appearances in U.S. District Court
in Philadelphia at 1:30 pm. EST.
According to the indictment,
Narducci allegedly made usurious and extortionate loans involving large amounts
of money to a borrower. As set forth in the indictment, when the borrower
failed to make weekly interest payments, Narducci allegedly used physical
violence through assault and threats of violence to force the borrower to repay
the loans. The indictment also alleges that, at Narducci’s direction,
Gallo collected weekly interest payments on the usurious loans from the
borrower and used threats of violence to facilitate the collections.
Each charge of making
extortionate extortions of credit, conspiracy to collect extensions of credit
by extortionate means, and collections of extensions of credit by extortionate
means making extortionate extensions of credit, carries a maximum penalty of 20
years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being prosecuted by
Trial Attorney John S. Han of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang
Section.
The case is being investigated by
the FBI, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of the
Attorney General.
An indictment is merely an
accusation and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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