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FBI: State Trooper Ran Gambling Ring, Threatened To Kill Informant

BOSTON (CBS) – A Massachusetts State Trooper has been charged with extortion in running a bookmaking ring with an FBI informant whom he allegedly beat and threatened to kill if he didn't get paid.

Veteran trooper John Analetto was arrested Saturday in Belmont. He will be arraigned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boston.

According to a criminal complaint, Analetto became a bettor with the confidential witness last year in an illegal interstate gambling ring.

WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports

Read: The Criminal Complaint (.pdf)

When Analetto learned about the informant's debts, he loaned the witness $24,000 with an interest rate of 12.5-percent a week, the complaint states.

The FBI said the informant recorded a meeting with the trooper on December 23 and while discussing the debts, Analetto allegedly told the witness "Will I kill you? Ya, I'll (expletive) kill you."

Three days later, in a phone call with the informant about another bettor who owed the informant money, the FBI said the trooper "made statements to CW (the cooperating witness) that he (Analetto) would break into the individual's house and physically harm the bettor and sexually assault (the) bettor's mother."

Later in the call, the complaint claims the trooper threatened to kill the informant again, "stating in words or substance that he would buy a ski mask, break into CW's house during the night and kill CW in his/her sleep and that there would be no witnesses."

Then, during another meeting December 30, "Analetto became physically violent with CW, head butting him/her and then slapping CW's face," the complaint states.

Watch Video of the Arrest

Analetto later placed a call to another bettor who owed them money, according to investigators, saying "We'd appreciate if you contact the right people and start doing the right thing.  Or 2012 isn't gonna be too good for you."

Authorities say Analetto convinced five people to make bets with the cooperating witness.

In a statement, State Police Colonel Marian J. McGovern said in part, "Analetto's actions as alleged in the federal complaint are beneath contempt. They are, as alleged, the actions of a criminal and street thug."

"I am disgusted by those actions, but more importantly, the 2,000 or so state troopers who serve with integrity and honesty are disgusted by them."

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