All 22 defendants in Northwest Indiana gambling ring "Operation Porterhouse Parlay" plead not guilty

All 22 people charged in a massive criminal gambling operation based in Northwest Indiana have pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance Thursday.

Prosecutors say James "Jimmy the Greek" Gerodemos, Dean "Dean Gem" Gialmas and Chris Gerodemos headed up the gambling ring that tied to restaurants in Merrilville and Hobart. Nearly two dozen people ranging in age from 21 to over 80 years old are charged in what federal prosecutors have dubbed Operation Porterhouse Parlay.

All 22 defendants appeared in federal court in Hammond for their arraignment Thursday morning and all 22 pleaded not guilty.

Federal prosecutors say the gambling ring brought in millions of dollars during a period of five years, starting in January 2021 and continuing until FBI raids that netted the 22 arrests at the end of April.

All but five of the defendants have been released on bond pending trial as of Thursday; the other five remain in U.S. Marshal custody for now.

Federal prosecutors told the judge they expect the trial to take three months. Deadlines for discovery were set for June 29 and July 31, with an in-person status hearing scheduled for Sept. 10.