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3/29/2008 3:32 AM

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Two women entered guilty pleas Thursday in federal court to charges of conspiring to conduct an illegal gambling organization and to engage in money laundering offenses.

Kim (Maxine) Zullo, 49, of 141 Oak St., Westland, and Georgianna Gebhardt, 53, of 455 Old Hickory Ridge Road, Washington, are the last of 10 people charged in January to plead guilty in connection with an illegal gambling ring that allegedly operated in Canonsburg between 2002 and 2006.

Sentencing for both women was set for July 30. They each could face a sentence of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles A. Eberle said between 2002 and July 1, 2006, the 10 conspired to conduct an illegal gambling organization that involved sports betting, numbers betting and an illegal ticket drawing.

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Also charged were Ross P. Jicomelli Jr., 63, of 156 Sedeca Drive, Canonsburg; Manuel Lemonakis, 79, of 204 Columbia Drive, Canonsburg; Leonard Patnesky, 60, of 536 Craighead St., Canonsburg; Joseph Selva, 72, of 181 Smith St., Canonsburg; Robert Arrigo, 67, of 6798 Kevin Drive, Bethel Park; August Passieu III, 38, of 174 N. DePaoli Road, McDonald; Edmond Alan Cononge, 47, of 193 Fairway Landings Drive, Canonsburg, and John (Jack) Glass, 59, of 208 W. Grant St., Houston.

While the involvement of the eight men was by selling tickets or collecting money from bettors, the two women were employees of the organization who received and recorded bets and tallied monies received and paid out.

The ringleaders of the operation were identified in criminal information only as AC and EL. A third man is identified only as JG.

Attorney Chris Blackwell, who represents another defendant, said several of them testified before a federal grand jury investigating the operators of a Canonsburg gambling ring, but would not identify them.

Several Washington County men testified before a grand jury in August 2006 regarding Allen Richard (Mike) Campbell of Mt. Pleasant Township.

In July 2006, nearly $214,000 was seized from his home and other money was taken from safe-deposit boxes, and agents filed for forfeiture of his home and nine vehicles.

They also asked for forfeiture of the home of Edward Lazorchak, 1000 Fawn Valley Drive, Cecil Township, as well as cash and vehicles and the contents of bank accounts. Neither man has been charged.

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