The state Attorney General's Office wants to seize $1.68 million in alleged gambling proceeds confiscated from the owner of a Youngwood pub and his family.

Attorney General Linda L. Kelly filed a petition on Friday asking a Westmoreland judge to approve the forfeiture of cash seized during a series of raids Feb. 11-15 at Delaney's Pub at 301 S. Third St.; the residence of its owner, John Caccamese, 61, of Hempfield; and several safety deposit boxes he owns.

No criminal charges have been filed against Caccamese or any of his family members.

Caccamese told state police that his gambling operation was taking in about $30,000 a week on numbers betting and about $10,000 a week in sports betting, according to the petition.

Kelly also wants a 2004 BMW taken in the raids to be forfeited to the state as proceeds from gambling. Other items were seized from safety deposit boxes owned by Caccamese and his wife, Judith, at First National Bank and First Commonwealth Bank, both in Hempfield.

Some of the lockboxes that contained cash are co-owned by the Caccameses' daughter, Jessica Bechtell, and her husband, Adam, whose address is reported as 243 Kenneth St., Greensburg.

Trooper Robert Brackney reported in court documents that state police in November were approached by a confidential informant who told them "that Caccamese was conducting a gambling operation pertaining to sports betting and numbers, among other forms of illegal gambling."

"The confidential informant stated that he placed bets directly with Caccamese at Delaney's Pub ... which is owned and operated by Caccamese," Brackney reported in the forfeiture petition.

During the Feb. 11 raid at his home, Caccamese admitted to running a gambling operation, according to court documents. Police seized $781,630 from the house during the search, documents state.

"Caccamese advised the troopers that he (also) had around $200,000 in U.S. currency that was in the safety deposit box that was in his and his wife, Judith Cacamese's, name. Caccamese advised troopers that he was willing to accompany the state police to the bank and surrender the safety deposit box," the petition states.

"Caccamese stated that he was taking in around $6,000 in bets a day on numbers, around $30,000 a week. Caccamese advised that he currently was taking about $10,000 a week in sports betting but in a good year could make $100,000 a year," it said.

On Feb. 3 -- three days before the Feb. 6 Super Bowl between the Steelers and Green Bay Packers -- and again on Feb. 10, state police confiscated garbage left curbside at Caccamese's 2 1/2-story residence at 416 Lexington Drive.

In those searches, officers found owe sheets for college basketball and National Football League games dated Jan. 17, 19, and 23, according to information returned on search warrants. Also found in the trash were strip, raffle and lottery tickets for "the championship special," dated Jan. 23, 2011, when the Steelers played the New York Jets for the American Conference NFL championship.

Police said they confiscated evidence of illegal lotteries in the garbage bags, including "strip/raffle/lottery tickets" ... in the names of D&D Sports, STOC Athletic Association, PLA Sports, Home Association and M&M Sports.

Brackney reported there was "no record found of any of said names as being a nonprofit, a charitable organization or a small game of chance licensee."

As a result, police had enough probable cause to obtain search warrants from Westmoreland Judge Debra Pezze, Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour and Mt. Pleasant District Judge Roger Eckels.

According to court documents, $587,123 was confiscated from the bar, along with four video poker machines and an owe sheet.

Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office, said yesterday that the agency will handle only the civil forfeiture action. Any criminal investigation will be prosecuted by state police and District Attorney John Peck.

Peck confirmed that the forfeiture is part of an "ongoing investigation into unlawful gambling in the region." He declined further comment.

In the 1980s, Caccamese was charged with running illegal lotteries. He was fined and given probation, according to court records.

Telephone messages seeking comment left for Caccamese at his Youngwood bar and his home were not returned yesterday.

The case has been assigned to Judge Gary Caruso, but a court date has not been scheduled.

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