A rendering of the proposed Wynn casino in Everett.
Credit: Wynn Resorts
A trio of area men have been indicted on state and federal charges in connection with an attempted swindle related to a casino land deal in Everett.
Authorities say the three men tried to hide the interest of a convicted felon in a parcel of land in that city from Wynn Resorts, which last month won a Boston area casino license and from state gaming regulators.
The three men — Charles Lightbody, a 54-year-old Revere resident, Dustin DeNunzio, a 37-year-old Cambridge resident andAnthony Gattineri, a 56-year-old Winchester resident all held a financial interest in FBT Everett Realty LLC, which held title to a parcel of land Wynn Resorts has proposed to locate a casino, according to US Attorney Carmen Ortiz and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.
The three have been indicted by a grand jury for concealing Lightbody’s interest in the land, who authorities describe as a convicted felon and a known New England Family of La Cosa Nostra associate. Lightbody wanted to receive money from Wynn in exchange for the land, according to authorities.
All three are facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aiding and abetting.
Authorities say the trio made it seem as if Lightbody’s interest in FBT had been transferred to Gattineri in exchange for a $1.7 million promissory note. Furthermore, the three created fake documents that reflected the supposed transaction, lied in an email to Wynn that Lightbody no longer had any interest in the land and misled the gaming commission’s investigators about his role.
The three allegedly hid his role in FBT because he had a criminal record, according to state authorities. It is illegal in the state for felons to have a stake — even an indirect one — in a casino.
Last fall, Lightbody allegedly assaulted a man at a casino rally in Revere, according to police. Police say the man he assaulted was in favor of bringing a casino to Suffolk Downs, a historic horse track which straddles the East Boston-Revere border. Lightbody, meanwhile, was opposing the Suffolk Downs proposal.
Last month, the state’s gaming commission chose Wynn’s Everett proposal over Mohegan Sun’s plans to bring a casino to Suffolk Downs.
