By ideastream's Brian Bull
Authorities arrested a local businessman this morning after an 18-month investigation by Cleveland Police and the New York Organized Crime Control Bureau.
Officials say Carmine Agnello is a member of the Gambino crime family and was a former son-in-law of deceased mob boss John Gotti.
Agnello ran a scrapyard in Cleveland, often weighing cars down with dirt in order to reap higher processing profits……authorities allege at least $3 million last year.
Ed Tomba, the Deputy Chief of the Cleveland Police Department says authorities were tipped off by a spike in auto thefts on the southeast side of the city.
“We did some research, and we found through our crime analysis, lots of autos taken were not recovered," said Tomba. "Which historically, we find vehicles. Either burned out or stripped. So we had over 52 percent of our vehicles that were not recovered. So they had to be going someplace.”
Investigators say Angello also bribed workers at processing plants to look the other way.
He faces charges of theft, money laundering conspiracy, and corrupting sports…a charge tied to drugging race horses. More charges may come.
Agnello served time from 2001 to 2008 for similar crimes back in New York.