SALEM — A federal judge has ruled that a brother-in-law of Congressman John Tierney must forfeit more than $7.7 million in proceeds from an illegal gambling ring he was convicted of helping run.

Daniel Eremian, 62, a former Peabody resident now living in Florida, was found guilty of criminal charges of racketeering, conspiracy and gambling in December and is scheduled, along with co-defendant Todd Lyons of Beverly, to be sentenced on June 28.

The same order, issued Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Patti Saris, finds Lyons, who the judge said essentially ran the operation in Massachusetts, liable for $24.5 million in proceeds.

The judge’s ruling comes more than two months after a three-day forfeiture trial in U.S. District Court in March. The two men waived their right to a jury trial in favor of letting Saris make a ruling in the case.

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Patrice Tierney, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to abetting Robert Eremian in filing false tax returns and served a month in prison, became a witness against Daniel Eremian during his criminal trial last fall.

During that testimony, she acknowledged handling checks that had been made payable to various entities, including one called Benevolence Funding, that prosecutors argued were actually shell corporations set up by Robert Eremian to hide the true source of the money.

She has said she did not believe her brothers were engaged in anything that was illegal, even as she visited Robert Eremian’s home in Antigua.

During her brother’s trial, when questioned about whether she ever discussed her brothers’ business with her husband, Tierney invoked her marital privilege.

FULL ARTICLE:
Tierney kin told to forfeit $7.7M
Judge finds Beverly man liable for $24.5 million
By Julie Manganis Staff writer
June 13, 2012