Crime
Upstate New York Bookies In the Line of Fire: Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany
If you are a bookie doing business in upstate New York, better be careful. Local law enforcement in that region from Rochester to Albany have been quite aggressive in recent years when it comes to quashing what it deems to be illegal sports betting rings.
Co-Founder of Pinnacle Sports George Molsbarger Charges Dismissed
The District Attorney's Office for Queens County, New York, dismissed all criminal charges today in its $50 million Internet sports betting and enterprise corruption case against prominent Southern California philanthropist George Molsbarger. Mr. Molsbarger, 68 years old, of Santa Monica, Calif., heads the Squid and Squash Foundation, a leading and innovative foundation that has given millions of dollars to improving education and the lives of underserved children.
Two Men Who Ran Online Gambling Biz With Ties to NHL Players Appear in Court
Two individuals accused of running a local Rochester, New York gambling ring appeared in court on Wednesday.
The case made national headlines as three NHL players, including Sabres former captain Thomas Vanek, questioned in connection with the probe.
’Lucky Luciano: Mysterious Tales of a Gangland Legend’ Dispels Rumors, Confirms Others
Author Christian Cipollini has a new book out that Dan Willis of the Pittsburgh City Paper says is “devoted to its objectivity” in telling a story about the Mob, with the primary focus being on Charles “Lucky” Luciano, one of the most notorious mobsters.
Luciano and his fellow mobsters were involved in everything from bootlegging liquor during prohibition to gambling and murder.
Was Benny Binion an FBI Snitch?
Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review Journal has written a piece this week that Las Vegas gaming legend Benny Binion became an FBI informant shortly after leaving prison and retaking control of the Horseshoe casino.
Cleveland Man Charged With Cheating Over 100 Times at Horseshoe Casino
Vaughn Perry, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been indicted for cheating over 100 times at the popular Horseshoe Casino. The charges include grand theft and 139 charges of illegal gambling.
The grand theft charge alleges Perry had illegal winnings of $8,240.
China Declares War on Decadence, Drugs, Gambling
The Chinese Government is set to launch a major crackdown on drugs, prostitution, gambling and overall decadence.
MO Gov at Center of Ferguson Shooting Incident was First Online Gambling Zealot
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D) has come under heavy criticism for his handling of the Ferguson, Missouri police fatal shooting of an unarmed Black teenager and its subsequent protests.
Following the shooting, it took a number of days for Nixon to make an appearance in Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb. He eventually had to call a state of emergency after some of the protests turned violent.
Our own Thomas Somach notes that Nixon’s past history as it relates to the world of online gambling is not a pretty one.
One Less Presidential Hopeful Backing Adelson Online Gambling Agenda: Rick Perry Indicted
AUSTIN, Texas (Associated Press) - A grand jury indicted Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Friday for allegedly abusing the powers of his office by carrying out a threat to veto funding for state prosecutors investigating public corruption - making the possible 2016 presidential hopeful his state's first indicted governor in nearly a century.
Whitey Bulger Attorneys File Appeal
BOSTON – (Associated Press) - Former Boston crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger is appealing the federal conviction that sent him to prison for life last year, arguing that he was unable to fully present his defence.
Bulger, who's 84, was convicted and sentenced on racketeering charges that tied him to 11 murders and other gangland crimes from the 1970s and '80s.
Eight Individuals Arrested for Ceasars Atlantic City Robbery: State Trooper Shot
Eight individuals have been charged in connection to an armed robbery at Caesars Atlantic City Casino on July 21. Those arrested include a former security guard of the property. An attempted arrest resulted in a Delaware State Trooper being shot.
Izyiah Plummer is alleged to have taken part in the robbery just two weeks after his termination by Caesars.
Prosecutor’s Office Chief Investigator Charged for Alleged Role in Gambling Ring
TERRE HAUTE, Indiana — (Associated Press) - A former chief investigator with a western Indiana county's prosecutor's office has been charged for his alleged role in a gambling ring.
Seventy-one-year-old James J. Counterman of Terre Haute faces three counts of inducing an individual to commit professional gambling and three counts of official misconduct. He appeared Wednesday for an initial hearing on the charges in Vigo Superior Court.
Gambling Loss Results in Milwaukee Triple Shooting
Milwaukee police are investigating a shooting incident that left three people injured near 12th and Ring Streets Tuesday night. The injuries were said to be non-life threatening.
The incident occurred around 11:30 pm outside a home where the victims are suspected of having been gambling illegally.
Men Claim Harrah’s Atlantic City Security Guards Brutally Beat Them
Attorneys for two Philadelphia men who allege they were beaten by security guards at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey are calling for state and federal prosecutors to investigate the separate incidents, both of which were profiled on ABC’s 20/20 news magazine last week.
Mobster With Alleged Ties to Al Sharpton Arrested
A mobster who made headlines recently for his ties to MSNBC host and activist Reverend Al Sharpton has been arrested.
Daniel Pagano, 61, of Ramapo, was arrested on racketeering and conspiracy charges involving gambling. Prosecutors claim Pagano is a captain or “capo” in the nationwide Genovese crime family.
Judge Recommends Jail for ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Founder
A Los Angeles bankruptcy judge wants “Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis arrested for failing to turn over luxury cars in what lawyers for casino magnate Steve Wynn speculate is an attempt to hide assets.
Canadian Accused in Paddy Power Breach Issues Statement
A Canadian citizen accused of compromising some 650,000 accounts at Paddy Power has come forward to issue his side of the story.
Two Alleged NJ Mobsters Sentenced for Role in Online Sports Betting Ring
75-year-old "Uncle Patsy," aka Pat Pirozzi, and 49-year-old John Breheney, better known as "Johnny Fugazi" or "Fu", were sentenced Tuesday for their role in what New Jersey authorities called a “sophisticated, mob-backed Internet gambling scheme based out of Costa Rica”. A third individual has pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
California Broker Ordered by SEC to Pay Back $9 Mil Used for Gambling Debts
The Securities and Exchange Commission has ordered a California broker and investment adviser, John Thornes, to pay back approximately $9 million in fines (including $280,000 in interest) after it was determined he had stolen some $4.4 million from the trust of an 80-year-old client to pay off gambling debts.
Thornes also stole from a deceased man’s trust that was set up to fund college accounts, according to the SEC complaint.
Vacation homes, luxury cars and chartered private jets were also paid for with the stolen funds.
SBOBet.com Center of Paul Phua World Cup Betting Probe: Not Guilty Pleas Entered
Poker pro Paul Phua and his son Darren appeared in a federal court on Tuesday to answer to charges they ran an illegal gambling business out of the $25k a night Caesars Palace villas via the popular Asian handicapping betting site SBOBet.com. Phua and six others are set to be arraigned on August 7. The father-son-tandem may be deported back to their native Malaysia. Both men pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
Congressman Chaka Fattah Son Indicted for Bank Fraud, Used Funds for Gambling
PHILADELPHIA (Associated Press) — The son of Philadelphia congressman Chaka Fattah has been indicted and charged with bank fraud, tax evasion and misspending federal education funds.
The federal indictment unsealed Tuesday accuses Chaka Fattah Jr. of lying about his income to obtain more than $200,000 in business loans he then spent on personal expenses, gambling debts and legal fees.
He is also charged with inflating expenses related to federal funds he received for a charter school program for at-risk students.
Denver Bookies and BarBets App Now Available at Local Sports Bars
If you are a bookie in the Denver area, you’ll want to check out RiNo Beer Garden, Highland Tavern, Occidental and Whiskey Tango Fox Trot in 2024. It was just a decade ago that the BarBets app was introduced to patrons to place wagers on various sporting events. Back then, sports betting was not regulated in Colorado. Today it is.
Convicted Mobster Hobbles With Cane but Caught on Video in Physical Altercation
Mobster Richard Riccardi has complained of excruciating pain from a hip tumor, requiring the use of a cane. But in an exclusive report from the New York Daily News, the convicted murderer and Mob goon's "unceasing pain" did little to prevent him from getting into two different altercations, both occurring while behind bars while awaiting sentencing.
Canadian Police Refuse to Identify Paddy Power Hacker: 649,000 Accounts Breached
Ontario authorities this week stated they will not be releasing the name of an individual said to have hacked some 649,000 customer accounts at Paddy Power, the UK’s third largest bookmaker.
Rhode Island, Providence Bookies Going Down in Latest Shakedown
Rhode Island is the latest state that is proving to be inhospitable to bookies.
On Friday, August 1, it was announced that a state grand jury had returned indictments in connection to an alleged sports betting ring operating in the northern part of the state.
Ireland Government Blasts Paddy Power Failure to Expose Breach
Government officials in Ireland have slammed that country’s largest bookmaker for failing to alert the public regarding a massive data breach that occurred in October 2010. News of the breach only became known on Thursday (July 31, 2014), nearly four years later.
Amicus Brief Filed By Bitcoin Foundation in Miami Criminal Case
The Bitcoin Foundation announced Thursday afternoon that they have filed an amicus brief with respect to a criminal case surrounding bitcoin transactions in the state of Florida and more specifically a case involving two subjects arrested last February in Miami Beach.
Paddy Power Suffers Massive Data Breach: More Than 649,000 Customers Compromised
More than 649,000 customers of the UK’s third largest bookmaker, Paddy Power, have had their personal information stolen, it was revealed on Thursday. Of those, approximately 120,000 are based in Ireland.
No customers who signed up after 2010 are impacted by the breach.
Five Arrested for Brazen Atlantic City Casino Robbery: Former Guard Among Them
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — Authorities say a former security officer and four other people stole more than $180,000 from security workers during an armed robbery at an Atlantic City casino earlier this month.
‘Hoffa’ Producer Joe Isgro Linked to Mob-Run Gambling Ring: Pleads Not Guilty
(Associated Press) - He's been one of the nation's most influential record promoters, the producer of an Oscar-nominated movie, a defendant who successfully fought racketeering charges in a high-profile payola case, and an admitted loan shark who shook down borrowers in ritzy Beverly Hills.
Now the roller-coaster life of Joe Isgro is taking another plunge, with new charges that he helped run a mob-linked gambling operation.
