Former Philadelphia Probation Officer Sentenced to One Day in Custody and One Year of Home Detention for Conducting Years-Long Illegal Gambling Operation

PHILADELPHIA - United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joseph M. Moore, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney to one day in custody, one year of home detention, three years of supervised release, $200,000 in forfeiture, and a $7,200 fine for owning and running a longtime illegal gambling operation.

Moore and co-defendant James P. DeAngelo, 45, also of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in October of last year to a one-count information charging them with conducting illegal gambling business. DeAngelo is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30.

As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendants, from approximately January 2017 to February 2025, Moore, who was a Philadelphia probation officer, owned and conducted the sports wagering business (the "Moore Gambling Business"), and DeAngelo, who was a Philadelphia police officer, worked closely with him.

The Moore Gambling Business allowed individuals to place various types of bets on sporting events, including wagers on the outcome of individual games, and wagers involving "block pools" and other sports gambling pools.

The entry fee for these pools was as much as $500, which would generate thousands of dollars for the winners. Winners paid Moore approximately 10% of their winnings as a "tip" or fee for participating in the pool. For ordinary bets on sporting events, bettors paid a fee to Moore that was included in the cost of the bet.

DeAngelo partnered with Moore and engaged another individual who provided access to an overseas gambling website that, for a fee, allowed a bettor to establish an account with the Moore Gambling Business and place bets on the overseas website.

Moore paid DeAngelo a percentage of the losses suffered by bettors, as much as 20%, as a fee for DeAngelo's role in the Moore Gambling Business. DeAngelo also accepted wagers on individual sporting events from gamblers. In some of those cases, he acted as the "bookmaker" on those bets, and in other cases, directed gamblers to Moore and the Moore Gambling Business.

During the years of its operation, the Moore Gambling Business served hundreds of bettors who, in total, wagered hundreds of thousands of dollars on sporting events.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.