Accused Loan-Sharking Minion Caught on Wire Tap Slapping Deadbeat

Federal judge Magistrate Judge Katherine Robertson released an accused loansharker to home confinement Monday.

Anthony J. Scibelli, 51, of Springfield was caught slapping around a debtor who had been wearing a wire for the FBI and state police since early May.

He was arrested and charged with a single count of extortionate loan collections and has been sitting in jail since June 2.

The street deadbeat allegedly took out a street loan of $5,000.  The loan eventually ballooned to $30,000 with interest as the alleged victim was unable to pay the full $5,000.  Instead, he would shell out $1,300 on the third of every month when he cashed his social security check, an FBI agent testified during last week’s bail hearing.

Scibelli allegedly beat the victim for being late on a payment.

Victim 1: “OK, so you just slapped me like four times in the face, right? And you kicked my phone in the street.”

Scibelli: “Yeah, you want some more?”

Victim 1: “No I don’t want no more. ... You want any?”

Nevertheless, the judge remained unconvinced that Scibelli had any true mob ties.

From MassLive:

But Robertson wrote in her ruling that she was unconvinced Scibelli is a leader, or even a member, of an organized crime family.

On audio recordings of conversations between Scibelli and “Victim One,” the two repeatedly refer to “the kid.” An FBI agent’s affidavit refers to the same man as “Individual One," and the person to whom Scibelli is allegedly beholden.

At one point, Scibelli blurts out the name “Albert" during one conversation in the context of not wanting to be “in the middle” of Victim One’s debt to “Albert.”

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com