Florida Bookie Tied to Legends Sports Bust Avoids Additional Jail Time
A Florida man tied to what authorities call a billion dollar illegal sports betting ring was sentenced in a New York State district court to time already served.
Philip Gurian, 52, known also as “Florida Phil”, had already served a year in the Rensselaer County jail as he awaited his fate. The Boca Raton bookie and poker player was one of over two dozen individuals charged in connection with the operation of Panama-based Legends Sports, which was later forced to shut its doors and transfer all customers to Costa Rica-based WagerWeb.com. He plead guilty last October to conspiracy and also forfeited up to $10 million.
During her sentencing of Gurian, U.S. District Court Judge Mae D’Agostino blasted him for "sometimes manipulating betting lines established in Las Vegas”.
Many operators in the online sports betting world feared the Gurian guilty plea at the time as the reputed mobster is said to have collected and distributed wagering funds within the US on behalf of some 40 to 50 sports betting operations.
Gurian, described as a “master agent” is also believed to have raked in around $150,000 a day in gambling. The Florida bookie was also said to have set up accounts at British bookmaker Bet365.com even though it prohibits wagering from the US.
"You were taking bets from people all across the country: New York, Florida, Indiana, California, Texas, Kansas, Nevada, just to name a few," the judge told Gurian. "As I read all of the wiretaps relating to you, you boast at one point that you're making $150,000 a day."
Gurian apologized for his crime.
"I take accountability for my actions," Gurian told the judge. "I'm anxious to put this behind me. I'm going to live a productive, peaceful, law-abiding life in the future and I will be an asset to my community. I will not disappoint the people who supported me through this ordeal."
D'Agostino was unmoved.
"I judge people — and I think most people should be judged — on what they do when they think people aren't watching," D'Agostino said. "You behave very badly when you think people are not watching."
Law enforcement agents used Skype wiretaps to snare Gurian.
The judge continued to lambaste him.
"You go on to say that whoever did this is just a 'con,'" the judge said. "You have quite a history of being a con yourself."
"So when you say you're sorry and you say you're going to live as a law-abiding citizen in the future, one can only hope," the judge said. "Because to date, with rare exception, most of the money that you have made has come about from illegal activity."
Gurian has ties to the New Jersey-based DeCavalcante crime family. He once fled the US to Europe after being indicted in a federal mob case.
- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com
