Long time Philadelphia Mob Associate Stephen Sharkey plead guilty to multiple charges Thursday in federal court in Philadelphia, six weeks after his co-defendant also plead guilty in the same case.
Sharkey, a long time associate of current Mob Captain George Borgesi, entered his plea before Judge John Padova. He’s facing 70 to 87 months in prison when he is sentenced on December 15, 2020.
Sources say Sharkey was approached after the original charges were filed about cooperating with the FBI, but he swiftly rejected their offer. He is not cooperating with authorities. He disappeared from Mob circles just prior to the indictment after sources say he had a “falling out” with Borgesi over money. He has not been seen in the company of any local wiseguys since the indictment.
Fellow Philadelphia Mob associate Anthony Ambrosia also plead guilty in federal court back in August to charges stemming from a 2019 federal indictment on wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft charges.
Anthony “Mortgage”, as he’s called, allegedly worked alongside Sharkey, and was at one time a close confidant to Borgesi. Ambrosia was indicted along with Sharkey in 2019.
No charges were filed against Borgesi, the nephew of recently retired Philly Mob Boss Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi who reportedly stepped aside last August at the age of 80.
Sources say Ambrosia plead guilty before a courtroom of masked up FBI agents to four counts in the indictment. He faces 21-27 months in federal prison when he sentenced November 12th. He must also make restitution to his victims of $265,000.
Sharkey’s trial was put off several times while he considered a change of plea deal that did not include any cooperation with investigators. Sharkey is exposed to a longer prison sentence because of his past criminal record.
The indictment against Sharkey and Ambrosia, aka “Anthony Mortgage”, stemmed from a scheme “to defraud and to obtain money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises.” One scheme allegedly involved approximately $208,000.
The indictment outlined how Ambrosia and Sharkey allegedly attended a meeting with the victim at a Staten Island gas station intending to return the money claiming a mistake had been made in the prior transaction.
Sharkey was also charged in connection with a second alleged scheme in Philadelphia that included identity theft.
Back in 2001, Sharkey pleaded guilty to his role in a gambling and extortion operation linked to former Philadelphia crime boss Joey Merlino. A judge sentenced him to five years in prison.
In April 2010, U.S, Marshals arrested Sharkey after he reportedly walked away from a Philadelphia work release program.
Ambrosia has faced criminal charges before in New York. He was never convicted on those charges.
Ambrosia’s Philadelphia plea deal does not include any cooperation with federal authorities.
Ambrosia is represented in this case by NYC Attorney John Moringolo who represented alleged Mob Boss Joey Merlino in a 2016 health care fraud and racketeering case in New York along with longtime defense attorney Edwin Jacobs.
A jury failed to reach a verdict in the case against Merlino, who later plead guilty to a simple gambling charge.
Merlino was serving a two year sentence when he was released last year to a halfway house in Florida where he lives. He was later released to home confinement at the start of the Covid19 pandemic.
“Skinny Joey” finished his federal sentence July 27th. He has a year of supervised release.
