Dozens rounded up in New York and New Jersey extortion probe

Dozens of individuals whom federal authorities identified as New York-area organized crime figures were arrested Wednesday following an investigation of alleged extortion of local garbage haulers, a federal official confirmed Wednesday.

Suspected members of several of New York’s five organized crime families were caught up in the sweep in New York and New Jersey, said J. Peter Donald, a spokesman for the FBI’s New York office.

The investigation focused on suspected extortion and loan sharking schemes in which these figures targeted private New York area garbage haulers, Donald said.

As many as 30 organized crime figures were caught up in the sweep, according to the New York Post, which said the arrests began around 5 a.m. EST (1000 GMT).

The investigation was a coordinated effort between federal agents and police in New York City and Westchester, a suburb north of Manhattan.

The suspects are expected to be arraigned in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.