Another Urlacher Co-Defendant Pleads Guilty to Role in Sports Gambling Ring

• Todd Blanken is the second defendant to plead guilty for his involvement in an illegal sports betting ring with ties to the brother of Chicago Bears great Brian Urlacher

• Casey Urlacher was pardoned by former President Donald Trump just prior to leaving office last month

• Vincent “Uncle Mick” DelGiudice plead guilty earlier this month to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering

• Another defendant in the case is accused of violently assaulting his girlfriend

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Another co-defendant in a federal sports gambling case involving former Chicago Bears player Brian Urlacher's brother has plead guilty. 

Todd Blanken, 44, pleaded guilty during a brief electronic hearing Friday before U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall, who told him he would likely face six months to a year behind bars. Blanken’s sentencing has been set for May 13.

Blanken is the second defendant in the case to plead guilty since then-President Donald Trump pardoned Mettawa, Illinois Mayor Casey Urlacher.

A 28-page indictment filed in February 2020 accused Blanken of working for Vincent “Uncle Mick” DelGiudice as an agent in the sports bookmaking business DelGiudice ran from 2016 to 2019 in Chicago, Lemont, Frankfort, Orland Park and Woodridge.

The 55- year-old DelGiudice pleaded guilty on February 2 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, and one count of conducting an illegal gambling business, which is punishable by up to five years.  U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall did not immediately set a sentencing date.  A status hearing in that case was set for March 8, 2021.

DelGiudice’s father, Eugene “Geno” DelGiudice, also pleaded guilty in July to conspiring to conduct an illegal gambling business.

Judge Kendall recently put another defendant in the case, Chicago Police Officer Nicholas Stella, in jail after prosecutors said Stella “violently assaulted his girlfriend” and argued he should be locked up pending trial.

Stella, 43, is also accused of destroying his phone when investigators attempted to search it. 

US District Judge Virginia Kendall said Chicago officer has shown a “pattern of three incidents of violence over a very short period of time” toward the unnamed female, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

"You are a danger to the community. You are a danger to her,” the judge told Stella this week, confirming her ruling at the end of a hearing Tuesday.

Stella is on a paid leave of absence from the police department. 

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com