A man who allegedly tailed an undercover agent on Interstate 65 south — at points driving “erratically” over 100 miles per hour — during the investigation into an alleged gambling ring based out of two Northwest Indiana restaurants will remain jailed for now.
Michael Campbell, 21, made a brief appearance Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Indiana.
His lawyer, Scott King, said after the hearing that no decision was made. He is seeking more evidence to be “as prepared as possible” to push for his release “soon.”
If there’s no deal with federal prosecutors, he would file to hold a detention hearing, he said.
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Campbell appeared emotional following Wednesday’s hearing.
The arraignment for all defendants is May 14.
The 87-page indictment was unsealed last week details the alleged gambling and extortion activity between January 2021 and April 2026. It names James “Jimmy the Greek” Gerodemos, of Schererville, and Dean “Dean Gem” Gialamas, of Naperville, as leaders of Gerodemos Gambling Organization.
Federal prosecutors charged 22 people in the scheme that was operating out of the two restaurants owned by the Gerodemos family, Gino’s Steakhouse in Merrillville and Paragon in Hobart.
Federal prosecutors wrote in court filings seeking Campbell’s detention that he was a “union” representative who had several roles in the gambling ring, including bookie, money runner and enforcer.
The evidence was “overwhelming,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Benson wrote.
The indictment alleged Campbell followed an undercover officer who was investigating Gerodemos on April 9 from Gino’s Steakhouse in a union truck to see where he was headed. He went from U.S. 30 to I-65, weaving in-and-out of traffic at high speeds. They later saw him exit near Lafayette, which is located more than an hour south, near Purdue University.
Campbell had an “admiration and aspiration to be part of the ‘mob culture’ as well as great admiration for James Gerodemos and all that he has accomplished with his criminal activities,” the federal prosecutor wrote.
They alleged Campbell gave addresses and other information to help them find Victim No. 2, a Florida man who owed Gerodemos $30,000.
Investigators had 1,000 pages of messages between Campbell and Gerodemos and other co-defendants. They recovered several pictures from Campbell’s iCloud account where he appears to be holding stacks of cash.
A hearing on co-defendant Peter Pavlopoulos’ potential release was delayed on Wednesday. His lawyer, John Cantrell, said after the hearing that he was also requesting more evidence.
