Grand Jury throws out case against Garcia

A Monmouth County Grand Jury yesterday decided not to charge former Assemblyman Rudy Garcia in connection with a gambling ring sting initiated last year by the New Jersey State Police.

"They heard the evidence and decided not to charge me," a jubilant Garcia told PolitickerNJ.com. "I had never been indicted, and when they presented evidence to the grand jury yesterday they threw out the case."

Garcia’s wife, Nicole Garcia, ran unsuccessfully for an Assembly seat in the 33rd district last year. The announcement of her candidacy came shortly after Garcia’s name surfaced as a possible player in an illegal underground gambling operation, and the candidate said at the time she was certain her husband would be found "not guilty."

According to Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis A. Valentin and New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Joseph R. "Rick" Fuentes, a Monmouth County Grand Jury returned indictments charging 37 other individuals with engaging in a racketeering conspiracy related to their involvement in an international, half-billion dollar, illegal sports betting and money laundering enterprise.

"The indictments stem from the March 28, 2007, arrests of numerous defendants in gambling raids throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York," reads the release from the prosecutor's office. "On February 4, 2008, the Monmouth County Grand Jury returned four indictments charging a total of 37 defendants with second degree Racketeering Conspiracy, third degree Financial Facilitation Criminal Activity (commonly referred to as "Money Laundering"), third degree Promoting Gambling, and third degree Forgery. The defendants were all charged with either first or second degree Financial Facilitation of Criminal Activity as well."