Crime

Elizabeth Warren Endorses Tierney: Wife Served Time in Offshore Gambling Case

Massachusetts Senior Senator Elizabeth Warren has endorsed eight-time Democratic incumbent Congressman John Tierney, who is expected to fight a tough primary this upcoming November.

Gambling911.com readers became familiar with Tierney after his wife Patrice was charged for her role in the operation of her brother Robert Eremian’s offshore gambling enterprise.  She served as an accountant for the long established Antigua-based gambling business, Sports Off Shore.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jun/17/2014

Mobster Matthew ‘Matty’ Guglielmetti Released From Prison After 10 Years

A New England mob associate, Matthew ‘Matty’ Guglielmetti, was released from prison last week after serving 10 years.  He will now be under house confinement according to reports.

The 65-year-old Guglielmetti is a high ranking figure in the powerful Patriarca crime family of La Costa Nostra.  He plead guilty to drug trafficking over a decade ago but was also said to be active in the family’s gambling and loan sharking business.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jun/16/2014

Florida Prosecutors Want Ex-FBI Agent Conviction in Murder of Gambling Exec

MIAMI -  (Associated Press) — Florida prosecutors are asking an appeals court to reconsider its decision to toss the murder conviction and prison sentence for a former FBI agent in a mob-style killing linked to jailed Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jun/12/2014

Men Who Escaped Quebec Prison Via Helicopter had Mob Ties

The three men who escaped a Quebec prison over the weekend via helicopter each had ties to the Mob and Hell’s Angels.

Yves Denis, 35, Denis Lefebvre, 53, and Serge Pomerleau, 49, broke out of the Quebec province jail Saturday evening.  

"The helicopter landed in a courtyard at the detention center," police spokeswoman Ann Mathieu told the French news channel RDI on Sunday.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jun/10/2014

€242,230 Seized From 2010 Paddy Power Irish Open Runner Up Proceeds of Crime

Poker player Paul Carr, 34, will not be getting his €242,230 back. Authorities seized the money as part of two separate probes and determined last week that funds were derived through criminal activities.

Submitted by Ace King on, Jun/09/2014

FBI Probe Into Illegal Gambling Business Details Prosecutor’s Extortion Plot

JOPLIN, Mo. — (Associated Press) - Hundreds of pages of reports from an FBI investigation into illegal gambling in Joplin and the surrounding areas show a wide-ranging vice operation that involved influential people in southwest Missouri and southeast Kansas.

The Joplin Globe (http://bit.ly/SoJHN0 ) obtained more than 600 pages of documents in response to a Freedom of Information request the newspaper filed in 2012 because the investigation had led to the firing of a Joplin police officer and indictments against three bookmakers.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Jun/08/2014

Gambino Capo Gets Life Sentence for Double Homicide, Heroin Dealing, Gambling

Gambino Crime Family captain Bartolomeo “Bobby Glasses” Vernace, 65, has been sentenced to life in prison for a double homicide committed 33 years ago over a spilled drink.  He will not be eligible for parole.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jun/05/2014

Sports Betting Billy Walters on FBI Probe: ‘I Am Innocent of Doing Anything Wrong’

Legendary sports betting professional Billy Walters spoke to CNBC on Tuesday insisting he did nothing wrong in regard to an insider trading probe.  Walters, billionaire investor Carl Icahn and golfer Phil Nickelson have each been tied to the ongoing FBI and SEC investigation.  Nickelson said over the weekend that he is fully cooperating with the Feds.

Submitted by Don Shapiro on, Jun/03/2014

FBI Unable to Tap Phone Calls of Gambler Billy Walters as Part of SEC Probe

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be unable to use electronic surveillance in its investigation into golf pro Phil Mickelson and professional sports gambler Billy Walters. Public knowledge of a probe into alleged insider trading prevents the law enforcement agency from tapping into the phones of both individuals.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jun/02/2014

Ex-Bayern Chief Begins Three-and-a-Half Year Prison Term: Gambled on Markets

The former Bayern FC boos Uli Hoeness began serving his three-and-a-half year prison sentence for evading $28.5 million euros in taxes.  The 62-year-old will serve time at a prison in Landsberg am Lech effective Monday (June 2).

Hoeness admitted to the tax evasion charges back in March.  He was originally facing a sentence of between five and ten years.

"I'm glad that this is all out in the open now," Hoeness said in March. "I deeply regret my wrongdoing. I'm doing everything I can to put this unhappy chapter behind me."

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jun/02/2014

Mickleson Says He Did Nothing Wrong: Cooperating in Probe Involving Billy Walters

Hall of Fame Golf pro Phil Mickelson confirmed to the Associated Press that FBI agents approached him at the Memorial Tournament in regard to an insider trading probe.  Mickelson insisted Saturday he did “absolutely nothing wrong”.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/31/2014

FBI, SEC Probe Into Big Time Gambler Billy Walters, Carl Icahn, Phil Mickelson

NEW YORK  (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating possible insider trading involving billionaire investor Carl Icahn, golfer Phil Mickelson and Las Vegas gambler William Walters, a source familiar with the matter said.

Submitted by Reuters on, May/31/2014

Poker Player Defrauds Bank Out of A$100 Million: Faces 142 Charges

Professional poker player William Jordanou, 55, is accused of providing false documents to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in order to get about $100 million in loans with three other men.   He faces 142 charges.

Jordanou was acting as a financial adviser to a Scoresby-based accounting firm between the years 2004 and 2013.  He is alleged to have provided the bank with false tax documents, letters of employment and invoices.

His lawyer George Defteros asserted his client would strenuously fight the charges. ‘

Submitted by Ace King on, May/29/2014

Man Serving Time for Property Fraud Indicted for Running Sportsbook

A Minnesota man currently serving a four year prison sentence for property fraud  has been charged with running an online sportsbook with servers based in Costa  Rica.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, May/29/2014

Philadelphia Mobster Heading to Prison for Role in Illegal Gambling Business

PHILADELPHIA — (Associated Press) - A man who authorities say worked for the Philadelphia mob is heading to prison for his role in an illicit video poker operation.

Forty-three-year-old Eric Esposito is described by federal prosecutors as a foot soldier of La Cosa Nostra. A judge sentenced him Wednesday to 27 months behind bars.

Submitted by Associated Press on, May/28/2014

Online Poker Processor Rat Daniel Tzvetkoff Will Likely Avoid Prison

The man who brought down PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker’s businesses in the US is not likely to receive any jail time.

Submitted by Ace King on, May/27/2014

Racketeering Law Does Not Cover Online Gambling Losses in Arizona

PHOENIX (Associated Press) — A state court decision says people who voluntarily engage in online gambling can't use Arizona's anti-racketeering law to sue websites' operators to recover gambling losses.

The state Court of Appeals decision issued Thursday upholds a Maricopa County Superior Court judge's ruling against a man who had sued several operators of gambling websites after he lost $800,000.

The man's lawsuit alleged that the websites were an enterprise engaged in civil racketeering.

Submitted by Associated Press on, May/23/2014

Man Driving to Collect Gambling Debt Goes Missing: No Show at Daughter’s Wedding

Police in Texas are investigating the disappearance of William P. Abel, 39, who was reported missing after he failed to show up for his daughter’s wedding the next day.  Abel was to walk his daughter down the aisle.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/21/2014

Runner Up of 2011 WSOP Main Event Martin Stazko Was Target of Kidnap Plot

Czech poker pro Martin Staszko was the target of a kidnapping plot by a group of individuals suspected in the disappearance of two wealthy businessmen, it was revealed last week.

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, May/19/2014

Bwin.Party Executives Acquitted in French Court

Bwin.party chief executive Norbert Teufelberger and the former co-CEO of bwin Manfred Bodner were acquitted in a French court on charges of violating Internet gambling laws in that country. 

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, May/19/2014

New Jersey Attorney General Denies Access to Online Gambling Affiliates

Online gambling affiliates, some of whom had already obtained their vendor licenses in the state of New Jersey, were dealt a serious blow by that state’s Attorney General last week.  But it is actually the casinos themselves that will feel the most pain.

New Jersey Assistant Attorney General George N. Rover informed those affiliates of state licensed online casinos that they would be restricted from directly targeting NJ residents or visitors unless they removed all links and banners from offshore gambling sites still conducting business in the state.

Submitted by Ace King on, May/19/2014

Ex-NFL Player Charged With Illegal Gambling Busted Twice in One Week With Drugs

Former NFL player Rache Caldwell has been arrested for trying to sell the drug Molly.

Police had been monitoring Caldwell’s movements following his arrest just days prior for attempting to sell Ecstasy on the street.

And earlier this year he was arrested for running an illegal gambling ring.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/18/2014

Borgata Faces New Lawsuit in Counterfeit Poker Chip Scandal

Six poker players filed suit against Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino this week over prize money not paid when a tournament was cancelled due to the discovery of counterfeit chips.

Submitted by Ace King on, May/16/2014

Crime Gangs Laundering $140 Billion a Year Through Sports Betting Sites

(Reuters) - Criminals are using betting on sports events to launder $140 billion each year, a report said on Thursday, exposing a lack of effective regulation that allows match-fixing to spread.

Soccer and cricket were identified as the sports most threatened by criminals seeking to rig the gambling market but tennis, basketball, motor racing and badminton were also affected, according to the report, which is based on a two-year research.

Submitted by Reuters on, May/15/2014

Joran Van Der Sloot to Marry in Prison, Become a Father

Dutchman Joran van der Sloot’s lawyer Maximo Altez confirmed that the convicted killer is set to marry while serving a 28-year prison sentence and he will become a father.

Van der Sloot was convicted of killing a 21-year-old female Peruvian student he met in a Lima casino in 2010.  He had been visiting Peru to follow the Latin American Poker Tour.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, May/15/2014

Michael Sam Boyfriend Dated Gay Porn Star: League “In Bed With Mobsters”

As if having a boyfriend whose family allegedly had mob ties were not enough, now there are reports that Michael Sam’s beau was once intimately involved with a gay porn star named Austin Wilde. 

Sam was named Southeastern Conference Champion of the Year in 2013.  He's now the first openly gay NFL player.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/14/2014

‘Tsunami of Corruption’ is Heading for Aussie Sports Warns Match-Fixing Expert

Journalist and corruption in sport expert Declan Hill has warned of a “tsunami of corruption” about to hit Australian sport.

He uttered the dire warning while addressing the second Victoria Police Integrity in Sport Symposium in Melbourne.

"The match fixing linked to the Asian gambling networks have destroyed most Asian sports.

"The sports fans of Asia, the gambling people, the fixers of Asia are now going to turn their attention to Australia."

Submitted by Alistair Prescott on, May/13/2014

Man Who Beheaded Exotic Bird at Flamingo Casino in Las Vegas Gets Probation

A University of California, Berkley law school graduate has been sentenced to probation after beheading an exotic bird at a Las Vegas casino in 2012.

Justin Teixeira received the four years of following a prison boot camp program.

His sentence also includes 16 hours a month of unpaid work at an animal shelter.

Teixeira pleaded guilty to beheading a rare 14-year-old helmeted guinea fowl while at the Flamingo’s Wildlife Habitat.

Alcohol was involved in the crime.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, May/13/2014

Michael Sam’s Boyfriend From Mob Family: Grandfather Stuffed Bodies in Sewers

It was the kiss seen around the world that everyone was talking about Monday – Michael Sam selected to the St. Louis Rams, then engaging in a kiss with his boyfriend on national television upon learning of the news.

Sam is officially the first openly gay player in the NFL.  There was some question as to whether he would be selected in this year’s NFL Draft and he nearly wasn’t.  Sam was one of the last picks.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, May/12/2014

Australian Casino Magnate James Packer Receives A$500 Fine for Brawl

Crown Resorts Ltd. Chairman James Packer has been fined A$500 for a May 4 street brawl near Sydney’s Bondi Beach.  The other man involved in the altercation, Nine Entertainment’s CEO David Gyngell has also been fined the same amount.

BetOnline

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, May/10/2014

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