Loan-Sharking Case To Court

A group of Connecticut men have been indicted on federal loan-sharking charges stemming from a case involving a concert promoter.

Thomas Bivona Sr., Thomas Bivona Jr., Milton Rodriguez, Anthony Speranza and Joseph Gambardella were recently arrested and appeared in district court in Bridgeport before the case was transferred to federal court in New York City, according to court documents obtained by the Greenwich Time.

While some of the men allegedly loaned the unnamed promoter $400,000 between 2006 and 2009, others were charged with conspiring to collect on unpaid loans through violence or threats of violence, the paper said.

The men could face up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 fines for each count. A hearing in NYC has been set for Dec. 3.