Defense Attorneys in South Carolina Bookie Case Want New Trial

The defense attorneys in a federal gambling case against an Irmo, South Carolina bookie, his father and an associate are calling for a new trial. The Trio was found guilty last week.

From The State newspaper:

In a motion filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Columbia, defense attorneys for the trio said they should have been made aware of the claims pending against Ben Staples, a Lexington accountant and mortgage banker, so they could have brought them up during cross examination. Such a cross examination would have been allowed under law established in federal court precedent, the motion said.

On Friday, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Staples and his son Oneal Staples, saying the two ran a fraudulent program designed to benefit from the deaths of terminally ill people. The complaint alleges that the Staples made $6.5 million in profits by lying about the ownership in bonds they purchased in joint brokerage accounts with people facing imminent death.

Those allegations were made public less than 48 hours after Staples testified on behalf of the federal government in the gambling trial of Brett Parker, Jack Parker and Douglas E. Taylor.

Brett Parker is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife, Tammy Jo, and a business associate.  The case was recently profiled on “Dateline NBC”.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com