New Jersey Authorities Execute Warrants in Trenton, Seizing Over 70 Illegal Slot Machines and Arresting Alleged Ringleader

Trenton police concluded an 11-month investigation into an illegal gambling network with coordinated warrant executions on Oct. 5. Officers seized more than 70 slot machines from at least 30 businesses and homes while a parallel arrest warrant took Harry B. Almonte, 33, of Philadelphia, into custody. More than $100,000 in cash was recovered from the machines.

The Trenton Police Department worked with the New Jersey Police Financial Crimes Unit on the probe. Almonte was identified as the main target and ringleader. At his residence, officers found three semi-automatic handguns and more than a half-pound of non-medicinal marijuana. He faces charges of maintenance of a gambling resort, possession of gambling devices, promoting gambling and money laundering, with potential additional weapons and drug counts in Pennsylvania.

Location owners received complaint summonses for maintaining gambling houses. Each summons carries a possible fine of up to $50,000. A department release stated: “This is a reminder that illegal gambling throughout the City of Trenton will not be tolerated in any form. The Trenton Police Department strives to keep the City of Trenton a safe place for the public.”

Details of the Investigation and Charges

According to reporting by Casino.org, detectives identified slot-style machines operating for personal gain across the targeted sites. No additional court records tied to Almonte appeared beyond the active charges. His Pennsylvania record consists primarily of traffic citations, including driving with a suspended license. The multi-agency effort spanned local Trenton police and state financial crimes specialists, producing both the seizures and the out-of-state arrest.

New Jersey’s Confined Legal Gambling Market

Slot machines are legal solely inside the nine casinos in Atlantic City. Proposals in recent years have sought to authorize slots at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks, yet casino gambling has not expanded beyond that limit. The state maintains 29 licensed iGaming platforms regulated by the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

This enforcement sequence shows authorities actively policing the boundary between licensed and unlicensed activity. With legal options remaining geographically restricted, sustained operations of this type will test how quickly similar networks re-form and whether further regulatory adjustments gain traction.

Reporting: Casino.org News

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