ST. LOUIS - A man with ties to St. Louis is among 34 people charged in connection with wide-ranging FBI investigations into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games.

Federal authorities identified Eric Earnest, 53, known by an alias of "Spook" as one of the defendants. An FBI news release lists him as being from St. Louis.

Earnest is accused of participating in two overlapping conspiracies backed by mafia: A wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy that used inside information from NBA players and coaches to profit from illegal betting activity and a nationwide fixed high-stakes poker operation that cheated victims out of millions.

While 34 people face charges, Earnest is one of only three defendants charged in both schemes.

FBI Director Kash Patel unsealed federal indictments o

See Full Page