A former South San Francisco fire battalion chief accused of running a sports gambling ring while he was on duty at the firehouse has pleaded not guilty to bookmaking charges, the San Mateo County Times reported.
James Selvitella, 52, entered his plea Thursday in San Mateo County Superior Court along with four other men charged with running an illegal wagering operation out of a South San Francisco fire station and a San Francisco apartment, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, the newspaper reported.
Selvitella, a Petaluma resident who owns a sports bar there called Beyond the Glory, took wagers from fellow firefighters and personally collected cash and debts from gamblers in between fire calls, Wagstaffe told the newspaper.
The operation involved hundreds of thousands of dollars a day in bets, the newspaper reported.
Selvitella and the other men - Michael Cooper, 50, of San
Francisco; William Kirkpatrick, 63, of Redwood City; Louis Kristovich, 71, of Millbrae; and Christopher Mesa, 63, of Corte Madera - face felony charges of conspiracy to operate a bookmaking operation, court records show.
To see more of the story, go to http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county









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