LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) – Nearly two dozen people are facing federal charges after the FBI raided two restaurants and a home in northwest Indiana on Wednesday as part of a multi-agency operation dubbed “Operation Porterhouse Parlay.”

According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal grand jury in Hammond on April 16 returned a 28-count indictment charging James “Jimmy the Greek” Gerodemos, Dean “Dean Gem” Gialamas, Chris L. Gerodemos, and nineteen others with running an illegal gambling organization that used threats and intimidation to collect on gambling debts.

The indictment was unsealed Wednesday after federal agents raided Gino’s Steakhouse in Merrillville, a home in Schererville and the Paragon restaurant in Hobart.

“Through this indictment, the grand jury has alleged that the defendants built an illegal gambling organization that operated both online and in person at two northern Indiana businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred in the news release.

The organization operated in northwest Indiana and elsewhere from on or about January 2021 to on or about April 2026, according to the indictment.

“Today marks the culmination of a lengthy, complex and collaborative investigation,” said Indiana Gaming Commission Law Enforcement Superintendent Brock Pilgrim. “The indictments, arrest and search warrants all send a clear message: those who attempt to corrupt the integrity of licensed gaming operations in Indiana will be held accountable.”

Stay up to date on local news with WNDU on-air and online. Be sure to download the 16 News Now App and follow our YouTube page as we continue to bring you the latest news coverage.