Crime
Tierney in Trouble: Backlash Over SOS Gambling Biz Could Still Come Into Play
Democrat Massachusetts Rep. John Tierney is among the more vulnerable incumbents this election cycle. A survey from Emerson College Polling Society gives Tierney 47 percent support among likely primary voters compared to challenger Seth Moulton’s 44 percent. There is a 5-point margin of error.
Gambling Dad Arrested: Admits to Leaving Child in Car While Playing in Casino
Delaware State Police arrested a Maryland man for leaving his 14-year-old daughter in a running car unattended while he gambled inside the Harrington Raceway and Casino.
The incident occurred over the weekend. 26-year-old Justin Middleton of Preston, Maryland was taken into custody. He is charged with reckless endangering and other charges.
Police said the child did not appear to be in any distress and was turned over to a relative.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
More Poker Players in Sweden Become Targets of Violence
Swedish poker players over the years have become targets of enterprising criminals. Last week, four armed bandits held up 15 players at a private game in Strömstad. The victims in this case happened to all be Norwegian.
From PokerNews.com:
The robbery began as four masked men armed with guns forced their way into the poker game at the Hogdal Bygdegård farm. Robbers then forced the poker players to the floor before robbing them.
High Profile Names of Denver Sports Betting Clients Will Not Be Released
Jeffrey Dorschner, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Colorado, has confirmed that the names of those appearing on a client list of a multi-million dollar Denver area sports betting ring will not be made public.
New York Post Asks if Phil Mickelson Will be Charged With Insider Trading
The Sunday New York Post reports that golfer Phil Mickelson could be looking at a lengthy prison sentence if found guilty of insider trading.
‘Ghost’ Fraudster Gets Nearly 5 Years Prison Sentence: Blames Gambling Problem
Canadian Ralph Sanon has been sentenced to 4-and-a-half years for stealing identities and raking in over $777,000 between the years 2011 and 2013.
Dubbed “the Ghost” by investigators, he would steal the victims identities then use bogus ID’s to get unsuspecting banks to provide him with fresh debit cards and PIN numbers, allowing Sanon to essentially drain the accounts of victims.
Sanon got his nickname for his elusiveness.
At the pre-sentencing, he claimed to have fallen into the wrong crowd and developed a gambling addiction.
Two Suspects Detained for Abduction and Murder of Internet Gambling Millionaire
Just one day after it was revealed that kidnapped Taiwanese Internet gambling millionaire Shih Chia-chin had been found dead, his alleged captors and killers were detained in the southern part of Taiwan on Tuesday.
Kidnapped Internet Gambling Millionaire Found Dead
A Taiwan businessman who reportedly amassed tens of millions of US dollars from illegal gambling has been murdered by his kidnappers, police confirmed on Monday.
Van der Sloot Threatens to Kill Warden, Gets Transferred to Remote Prison
A Dutchman accused of killing 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores has been moved to a remote penitentiary after authorities claim he threatened to kill the warden of the prison where he is serving 28 years.
Denver Area Bookie Client List Could Prove Damaging Following Guilty Plea
As reported earlier this month by Gambling911.com, Denver area bookies and agents alike may be looking over their shoulder this football season….Worse still, they could be fearing that dreaded early AM knock on their door.
That’s because one of the state’s largest bookmaking operations has been taken down and the client’s list reportedly reads like a “Who’s Who of Denver’s Elite”.
Did Poker Pro Daniel Cates Hire Hitman to Try and Off Noah Boeken?
Poker pro Daniel Cates engaged in an online chat with fellow pro Noah Boeken whereby he suggested the hiring of a hitman.
The threat came moments after Cates accused Boeken of account sharing with Finland pro Patrik Antonius.
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.
