A Brief Look at Crime 01/09 – 01/15

Ex-Treasurer Milton Carnes sentenced to probation for stealing $62,500 from Steelton Volunteer Fire Company  

Milton C. Carnes, a decorated former firefighter and ex-treasurer of the Steelton Volunteer Fire Company, was sentenced to 7 years’ probation today for stealing more than $62,500 from the unit between 2005 and 2010. Dauphin County Judge Scott A. Evans imposed that penalty after a half-dozen uniformed firefighters, Carnes’ former colleagues, attended the court hearing and urged him to be lenient. Assistant Public Defender Dana Wucinski said the thefts stemmed from Carnes’ gambling addiction. Carnes, 34, went to the district attorney’s office and admitted to the embezzlement last January. Deputy District Attorney Jason McMurry backed the probation proposal, saying that is what the fire company wanted. Evans, who called the case a “heart-wrenching shame all the way around,” also ordered Carnes to pay at least $500 a month in restitution.

Man accused of killing sister in Naperville wants to act as own lawyer

A Lakemoor man accused of beating his sister to death with a blunt object — possibly a hammer — wants to represent himself in court. Mark Lewis, 51, told a Will County judge Monday he believes he can adequately defend himself because he understands the case against him and can read and write. The comments were met by a “strong” recommendation from Judge Richard Schoenstedt for Lewis to consider a public defender. But Lewis refused to fill out the necessary paperwork, maintaining he wants no assistance. Family members told investigators Mark Lewis has paranoid schizophrenia and is a gambling addict. Several weeks before the killing, they said, he took on an “escalated psychotic state” after being told the family was “cutting him off” financially, according to court records. He also was being evicted for unpaid rent.

Updated – Man explains why he killed his wife

A man who has admitted to killing his wife and mother of their three children, told a court today that he had not intended to commit the crime. But the prosecution called for life imprisonment and said that the fact that the accused had carried a knife in his bag showed that this was premeditated murder. Roger Agius 49, of Fgura, admitted to fatally stabbing his estranged wife Catherine, 41, just before he was to undergo a trial by jury this morning. Dr Nadine Sant, prosecuting, said a husband killing the wife he was expected to protect was the worst act. The murder, she said, was premeditated because the accused had been carrying a knife. He stabbed her close to her heart with such force that even part of the handle penetrated the body. This man had a drinking and gambling problem and even evicted the family from their home so that he could enjoy his lifestyle.

Convicted swindler admits he spent nearly all the money stolen from investors’ life savings

ST. LOUIS — When forced to testify under oath what he had accumulated through two decades of stealing the life savings of investors, Edward Moskop was forced to admit he spent nearly all of it. When Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerald Burke asked the 64-year-old swindler where he got the money to pay for his one-way $99 airfare to Denver to report to prison, he said he borrowed it from his mother and his ex-wife. He must report on Jan. 18 to the Englewood Federal Correctional Institution in Littleton, Colo., to serve a 20-year sentence. Under federal rules, he must serve at least 17 years. He must also pay restitution of about $1.5 million. When asked whether Moskop had engaged in illegal gambling, an activity that U.S. Attorney Steve Wigginton previously said his office strongly suspected, Moskop invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self incrimination. His attorney Justin Kuehn, of Belleville, advised him not to answer questions about illegal gambling, including card playing for high stakes.

Dozens of animal corpses found in Italian lake

President Lorenzo Croce added: ‘We know that the Camorra is running dogfights for illegal gambling and holding dogs in what can only be described as canine concentration camps until they are ready to fight. ‘Other animals are also being used in international trafficking for vivisection purposes – we believe that this discovery is just the tip of the iceberg and there are many other dumping sites around the region.’ An investigation has been launched after the bodies of dozens of dogs, cats and rabbits were found dumped in an Italian lake. Officials suspect the dogs were bred for illegal fights, but other animals had single knife wounds which some suggest may have been inflicted during a bloody mafia initiation ceremony.

 Players have been killed, admits FIFA’s head of security as war against match fixing continues

FIFA’s head of security has once again cranked up the publicity machine in the war against match fixing with fresh evidence of the scale of the problem worldwide. Chris Eaton (pictured), who recently told insideworldfootball that lives were at risk but that over 20 players had nevertheless already come forward to blow the whistle, gave further details today of the attempt to bring the criminals to justice. “We are very concerned about the safety of players [and] officials,” Eaton told a media briefing in Zurich. “There is anecdotal evidence that some players have been killed. “Match fixing is all about stealing money. “It destroys the lives and careers of many people. “Governments should be interested because the amount of money is truly staggering.”

Match fixing and illegal betting has reached such alarming proportions that the former coach of South Korean club Sangmu Phoenix was found dead in October in an apparent suicide, three months after being charged as part of the new crackdown. “We have evidence of players in South Korea committing suicide because of the shame of match-fixing,” said Eaton. “There are players who pay the ultimate price for resisting or for the shame of match fixing.”

Atty General: Gambling Addict Stole from Charity

He’s accused of stealing more than a million dollars meant to help families of Arizona soldiers serving overseas. Now, we are learning how he was able to do it. According to the Attorney General’s Office, retired Colonel James Burnes was taking and gambling money for years. His co-workers were suspicious, but they figured he’s their boss, so they left it alone. Eventually, the suspicious withdrawals become too much to ignore. Burnes was authorized to handle the charity’s money back in 2001. A few years ago, the suspicious withdrawals began, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to documents obtained from the Department Of Emergency and Military Affairs, Burnes would transfer money between various accounts and request the checks be handed over to him. He would then deposit the money.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

UPDATE: Florida Gambling Bill’s Fierce Opposition Causes 170 Page Rewrite by Senator Bogdanoff

Casino Watch Focus reported that the Coalition to oppose the Florida destination casinos bill had grown to an impressive level when top Florida Cabinet members Bondi, Putnam, and Atwater joined the fray.  Now that the short, 60-day legislative session has begun, the clock is ticking on the bill’s supporter, Senator Bogdanoff, to get the votes necessary to pass the legislation.  The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that the uphill battle has caused Senator Bogdanoff to rewrite the bill in a desperate hope to get support:

Senate sponsor Ellyn Bogdanoff last week released a 170-page rewrite of the bill to help take pressure off reluctant lawmakers by including a requirement that any county — including Miami Dade or Broward — that wants to attract one of three mega resorts must first get voter approval.

To win over supporters of the existing pari-mutuels, the revised bill allows them to operate Las Vegas-style games and receive a lowered tax rate if they compete directly with the new casinos. And across the state, any struggling horse and dog tracks and jai alai frontons would be allowed to ask voters to let them install slot machines.

The bill also attempts to win over gaming opponents. Bogdanoff, a Fort Lauderdale Republican, and House sponsor, Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, would ban new pari-mutuel permits, regulate or close internet cafes and set up a strict new regulatory structure. The state would create a new “Department of Gaming Control” to administer and license the casino resorts and regulate the pari-mutuels and card rooms.

The bill has the effect of expanding gambling even more under the guise of allowing public choice.  The best chance for the bill to gain early traction appears to be in the Senate.  The Tampa Bay Times explains:

There is no guarantee these changes will assuage critics when the bill comes up for its first vote in the Senate. But the bigger test is in the House, where a conservative Republican majority and a presiding officer, whose home territory includes Disney World in Orlando, are reluctant to open the door to anything that could harm the state’s family-friendly tourism image. One thing is certain about the looming legislative debate over gambling: It will be an epic battle in Tallahassee.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 01/02 – 01/08

Utah Couple Arrested In Carjacking, Double Murder

US Marshals arrested a Utah couple Tuesday in connection with a two-state crime spree that included a violent carjacking and a burglary that left two dead. Logan McFarland, 24, and Angela Atwood, 25, were arrested without incident at about 1:20pm local time after being spotted walking in the Nevada desert near the Utah border, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The two are suspected in the fatal shootings of Leroy and Dorotha Fullwood, 70 and 69, who were found dead in their own home on New Year’s Eve in the small Utah town of Mount Pleasant, about 100 miles (160km) south of Salt Lake City. After the fatal home invasion, McFarland and Atwood allegedly stole a car and drove it to West Wendover — just west of the Utah-Nevada border — where they tried to exchange their vehicle with a 35-year-old local woman in a casino parking lot early Saturday.

No prison time for Long Khong, who embezzled $800,000 from nonprofit

A man who embezzled more than $800,000 from the Colorado Association of School Executives was sentenced Friday to five years of supervised release but avoided the prison term prosecutors were seeking. As part of the sentence, Long Khong will not be able to make credit-card charges or obtain new credit cards. He must get a job, build a budget and put at least one-quarter of his salary toward paying full restitution to the association and an insurance company. He must continue with gambling- addiction therapy and he is not allowed to place any bets, including playing the lottery. The association, known as CASE, is a nonprofit that provides professional training to school leaders. Bruce Caughey, CASE’s executive director, said he was shocked by the sentence. Since the theft was discovered, the association has reduced professional staff by 25 percent and had to cut programs for members, in part because of the missing money.

Mass. state trooper charged in illegal gambling racket

Casino developers are hoping for a chance to do business in Massachusetts, but the illegal gambling business is already active in the Bay State, according to an affidavit made public Tuesday as part of a criminal complaint by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston. The  affidavit (pdf download), sworn by an FBI officer in the bureau’s public corruption squad, accuses a Massachusetts state trooper, one John M. Analetto, of extorting money from a confidential informant, an alleged bookmaker who, according to the document, told the FBI he has been involved in illegal interstate gambling businesses for about 17 years. Analetto’s alleged role in the informant’s business began when the state trooper offered to loan the confidential informant money to pay off debts owed to loan sharks, in exchange for a percentage of the informant’s business.

British police to target illegal gamblers during London 2012

The risk posed by foreign betting syndicates is making UK’s Olympic chiefs put together a special unit to help prevent illegal gambling syndicates from bribing athletes at the 2012 Summer Games. According to Sky News, Sports Minister Hugh Robertson described foreign betting syndicates as a threat capable of soiling the reputation of London 2012 Olympics more than doping.  “That comes from illegal gambling syndicates in the Far East and on the Indian subcontinent that comes from the evidence of what we have already seen happening in this country with the incident at Lord’s 18 months ago, ” Mr. Robertson told Sky News. “There are the conditions there in the Olympics for this to thrive.” To check the activities of the gamblers, officers from the Metropolitan Police, Interpol and the Serious Organised Crime Agency are to make up the unit that will identify spot-fixers and stop them from approaching athletes. They will also monitor betting patterns for any signs of suspicious activity.

 Woman, 70, sentenced in mail fraud case

A federal judge Tuesday sentenced a 70-year-old woman with a million-dollar gambling addiction to 28 months in prison after questioning whether federal authorities could go after the gaming companies for restitution. U.S. District Judge G. Patrick Murphy of East St. Louis sentenced Flora Buckingham of Granite City to prison and to pay $921,000 in restitution, but the judge noted there is little chance the defendant ever will be able to repay the money she stole from her employer. Buckingham pleaded guilty in September to federal mail fraud charges for stealing the money from her employer, Ahmad and Rana Pediatrics of Granite City.

Gambling habit blamed for $140K fraud at TCU Place

A former executive of TCU Place, Saskatoon’s Arts and Convention Centre, says he gambled away $140,000 he took from his employer and family. Brad Hache was in court Wednesday for sentencing related to his fraud conviction. “I’ve brought financial hardship to everyone and I wish I could take it all back,” Hache said in court. Hache was the manager of food and beverage services at TCU Place. He had been working at the venue five years and resigned at the end of November, 2010. He was arrested and charged in July of 2011. Court heard that $143,000 was taken in a four-week period just prior to his resignation.

Retired Guard colonel accused of stealing from charities

A retired colonel with the Arizona National Guard was charged with stealing more than $2 million from a charitable fund for guardsmen in a multi-count indictment released this week. Prosecutors with Attorney General Tom Horne’s office claim that retired Col. James Eugene Burns used the stolen money to support a gambling habit. A Maricopa County grand jury handed up the eight count indictment in October charging Burns with fraud, theft and forgery during a 4-year period from 2007 through 2011 during which time prosecutors claim Burns siphoned cash out of several charitable accounts and put it toward gambling debts.

“This is one of the most disturbing alleged abuses of a financial trust as I have ever seen,” Horne said in a statement. “This money was meant to assist needy service men and women and their families, and Mr. Burns is alleged to have instead used it to satisfy his personal gambling debts. My office will pursue this case vigorously to ensure that justice is served.”

Former Miami Cop Vernell Reynolds Indicted for Embezzling $200,000 from Police Charity

Vernell Reynolds is a whole different type of corrupt cop. She stands accused of not just embezzling $200,000, but from swiping that money from a charity set up by police officers which she oversaw. The U.S. Department of Justice announced her arrest and indictment today, and claims some of the money was withdrawn from the charity’s bank account at local casinos. Reynolds, a 17-year veteran of the force, served as president of the Miami Community Police Benevolent Association from 2005 until 2010. Back in March, Reynolds was arrested for stealing $7,000 from the group’s Step Up for Students scholarship fund. That money is supposed to provide scholarships for inner city youth.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

Obama Administration Ruling Allows Online Gambling

Casino Watch Focus reported that several states have been attempting to legalize online gambling in their own jurisdiction.  Even though many states were attempting to legalize such intrastate gambling, it was generally understood that a long legal battle would develop.  The current online gambling landscape is largely governed by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UGEIA).  It regulates interstate and intrastate gambling at the financial level.  Given the almost impossible nature of regulating the internet, UGEIA looked to enforce the issue by going after the financial institutions where the gambling money would trade hands.

The basis for UGEIA is the 1961 Wire Act, which prohibits gambling over telecommunications systems.  This act effectively prohibited almost all online gambling, on both an inter and intrastate level.  Now, The Christian Science Monitor is explaining that a common Justice Department ruling on the Wire Act has been reversed by the Obama Administration, allowing for at least intrastate gambling and possibly even gambling between states:

Until now, the Justice Department had held that the Wire Act makes even intrastate online gambling illegal. Its new interpretation, written by Justice Department attorneys in response to requests for clarification from New York and Illinois, concluded that the law instead specifically outlaws such wagering on sports, not nonsports gambling within states or even across state borders.

“The ordinary meaning of the phrase ‘sporting event or contest’ does not encompass lotteries,” wrote Assistant Attorney General Virginia Seitz. “Accordingly, we conclude that the proposed lotteries are not within the prohibitions of the Wire Act.”

“The United States Department of Justice has given the online gaming community a big, big present,” writes I. Nelson Rose, a Whittier Law School professor who blogs at gamblingandthelaw.com. “My bet is that … Congress will continue to do nothing, while Internet gambling explodes across the nation, made legal under state laws.”

While the Justice Department ruling does not specifically address interstate gambling, legal experts say it’s likely to be allowed, at least between states that specifically regulate online gambling.

There are a multitude of concerns with the actions of the Obama Administration’s new ruling.  In an Op-Ed piece by the Christian Science Monitor, they argue that such actions amount to a tax on the poor and that the regulation issues will be too severe to offer anything other than potential harms to children and families:

[B]ig doubts remain over whether states can indeed restrain such digital games of chance to residents while also keeping children from playing them. State lotteries, for examples, have a poor record of preventing retailers from selling tickets to minors.

And even if states can outsmart tech-savvy teens or out-of-state gamblers, once enough states jump into Internet gambling they will likely be able to work together and create a national scheme for such activity. That would violate the spirit if not the letter of a 2006 federal law banning such interstate activity.

Most of all, bringing Internet gambling to America would hurt the poor, who are most affected when people lose money in government-approved games of chance such as state lotteries or casinos – not to mention the way it would reinforce a belief that one’s future depends on “luck” instead of individual merit.

In effect, President Obama and his appointed Justice officials have bowed to political pressure from states that seek a new source of revenue in Internet gambling rather than taking the difficult decisions to raise taxes or cut spending.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 12/26 – 01/01

Gambling leads family to commit suicide

In a grisly incident, five members of a family attempted suicide by consuming rat poison at their house in Kamareddy on Friday. While two kids died, other three family members are in a critical condition. According to police, Ramagiri Raju who was living with his wife and three children was addicted to gambling. In the process, he kept borrowing money to win bets and ended up in a sea of debts. His friends, who were sympathetic towards him, gave him some money to clear his debts. However, his happiness did not last long as they began harassing Raju and his family members. On Friday, Raju’s friends allegedly abused his wife. In the meantime, Raju along with his wife Sangeetha, two daughters and a son consumed rat poison.

First Black Friday Poker Executive Pleads Guilty

The 31 year old co-founder of Absolute Poker, Brent Beckley has become the first online poker executive among the eleven who were indicted in April this year in the United States, to plead guilty to charges brought against him.  Beckley reportedly reached a plea deal with the US Department of Justice, which could see him sitting behind bars for up to a year and a half on charges relating to conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, as well as breaking online gambling laws in the US.

A hearing in Manhattan earlier this week saw Beckley admitting that he knew what he was doing was wrong, and he was aware that he was breaking online gambling laws relating to the poker industry.  He said that he had received credit card payments from real money US poker players who sought to play poker at Absolute Poker, and he admitted to alternating records so that the money he received appeared to be earmarked for other purposes.

 Damian Karlik sentenced to six life sentences for murdering ex-boss’ family

The Petah Tikva District Court sentenced Damian Karlik to six life sentences on Tuesday after he was convicted of murdering six members of the Osherenko family in Rishon Letzion two years ago. In 2009, 32-year-old Dmitry Osherenko, his 28-year-old wife Tatiana, and their children Revital, 3, and Netanel, aged four months, were found dead in their Rishon Letzion apartment along with grandparents, Edward and Ludmilla, both 56. Five of the six victims had sustained stab wounds. Last month, the Petah Tikva District Court convicted Karlik of murdering the Osherenko family. Karlik was also convicted of conspiracy to murder, theft, and arson.   Karlik, whom the police say is a compulsive gambler, spent huge amounts of money at gambling venues and allegedly began to plan his revenge on Osherenko four months before the murder took place with his wife Natalya, who was convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 13 years in prison in a plea bargain.     

Police link alleged embezzlement, casino

A Conway Township man turned himself in Tuesday to face charges he embezzled from his employer more than $700,000, some of which authorities allege he spent on gambling at the MGM Grand Detroit casino. Ralph Edward Staelgraeve, 45, the former director of Michigan operations for Pasta Per Trio Inc., which operated out of Staelgraeve’s home on Sober Road, was arraigned Tuesday. He is free on a $100,000 personal bond and returns to District Court on Jan. 3 for an exam conference before Judge Carol Sue Reader. Former MGM host Lee Sadek, 37, of West Bloomfield also faces the same charge. He is free on a $100,000 bond, and he returns to District Court today for an exam conference. The investigation led by Sgt. Gary Childers of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department began in December 2009, when an employee of the Wisconsin-based Pasta Per Trio contacted the department regarding the misuse of funds. Company officials believe Staelgraeve stole nearly $1 million, but they can only prove he stole more than $700,000, Childers said.

Marina Bay Sands Sues High-rollers For $5.78 Million

The Marina Bay Sands (MBS) in Singapore is suing five of the casino’s exclusive Paiza Cub members for S$7.5 million (US$5.78 million) over alleged outstanding gambling debts. The case has been filed in the High Court, against the five high-rollers consisting of two Malaysians, a Chinese man, an Indonesian and a Japanese man. Takami Shinichi from Japan, who is based in Singapore, allegedly owes S$2 million, Chinese national Zhang Dechun owes s$1.94 million, Indonesian Husni Muchtar owes s$920,500, while Malaysia’s Por Boon Chuan and Chock Kok Sui owe s$518,436 and s$1.9 million respectively. According to The Straits Times (ST) news report, the premium players’ banks failed to honour the credit guarantee cheques, which were signed by the men.

Fugitive who reputedly ran mob gambling operation in Costa Rica returns to NJ to face charges

A fugitive who allegedly helped run a mob-influenced gambling operation in Costa Rica is back in New Jersey.State Attorney General Paula Dow says Frank Cetta was arrested in Costa Rica on Dec. 5. He’s being held in New Jersey on $350,000 bail and will be arraigned next week. It’s not known if he’s retained a lawyer. Cetta was indicted in May 2010, along with nearly three dozen others, for allegedly running an illegal gambling operation that processed more than $2 billion in wagers over a 15-month period. Cetta allegedly supervised a wire room in Costa Rica where bets were processed. Also indicted was Nicodemo Scarfo Jr., whose father, Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo, is serving a life term for running the Philadelphia-Atlantic City mob in the 1980s.

 Pair who embezzled $900,000 from disabled vets get 3 years in prison

A former federal employee and a financial appointee who conspired to embezzle nearly $900,000 from disabled military veterans’ accounts have been sentenced to three years in federal prison. Jack Perry, 75, and Robert Tabbutt, 67, both of Memphis, diverted the money from 10 accounts and spent it on personal bills and gambling at Tunica casinos, authorities said. Perry was appointed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to manage financial affairs of the beneficiaries, while Tabbutt was a VA Field Examiner whose job was to review the performances of appointed fiduciaries in Tennessee, including Perry. The two men conspired to divert money from the accounts for their personal use, authorities said. The total amount taken in the scheme between July 1999 and October of 2008 was $896,239.43, records show.

Man ends life after wife refuses money

Upset over wife’s refusal to give money for gambling, a middle aged man poured kerosene on himself and committed  suicide in the city. The incident took place at  Indira Sahayata Nagar under the Gautam Nagar police station. The police said deceased  Rashid Khan, 30, was a scrap dealer. The two would often fight over his habit of gambling. on December 25, when Rashid lost Rs 1,000 in gambling, he returned home and asked his wife  Mobina to give him money to recover losses. However, Mobina refused to give him money and it led to an argument between the two. The two went to sleep.  After getting up in the morning, Rashid got into scrape with his wife for money. He asked her to leave the house when Mobina expressed helplessness to give him money, the police said. He then closed the door poured kerosene and set hemself on fire.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 12/19 – 12/25

At sentencing, Choi apologizes for slaying three in a Tenafly home

Kang Hyuk-Choi, 36, was sentenced in Bergen County Superior Court on Dec. 14 to three terms of life imprisonment, running concurrently, for the murders of three people in Tenafly.The murders took place in May of 2008 after Choi felt that he was wronged by his partner in a credit card business. He pled guilty to the charges and allegations that he fatally stabbed his former business partner and two of the man’s family members. “We have three individuals who no longer walk the earth,” said Judge Donald Venezia. “You brought havoc to three individuals and to a community. Anything less than a life sentence and I’d be condoning what you did. There’s no way you’re getting a break. You did not give Mr. [Han Il] Kim a break.” Before being sentenced, Choi apologized via his Korean translator. “I’m very sorry to the victims and their families,” he said. “I’m sorry to my own family.” Choi’s attorney, Frank Meehan, said his client had a gambling addiction, which led him to not only seek out the original business partner, Kim, but also to flee to a casino in California after killing Kim’s mother and uncle.

Stuart man, 78, charged with fraud in $7 million Ponzi scheme

Stuart man is facing fraud charges after being accused of swindling two dozen people in a $7 million Ponzi scheme regarding the sale of airplane parts, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement news release. Brown and Green allegedly told investors that they had committed buyers for high-demand aircraft parts. The duo then presold the parts before the investors signed the investment contracts, with investors told they would receive a return of up to 18 percent on their investment within six months.  However, Green and Brown did not buy or own the aircraft parts they were offering to sell. A few aircraft parts they did obtain were used to get more money from more people, the release states. Green and Brown are accused of spending the money on personal items such as gambling and expensive cars, the release states.

Former property manager admits embezzling more than $400,000 from central NJ condo association

The former property manager for a central New Jersey condominium complex has admitted embezzling more than $400,000 from its homeowners association. Sixty-year-old Theresa Tierney faces up to seven years in prison when she’s sentenced in April 2012. The Ocean Township resident also will have to make full restitution to the Strickland Farms complex in Howell.  Her lawyer, Charles Moriarty, tells the Asbury Park Press that his client has a gambling addiction and is now receiving treatment.

How rug was pulled from under mafia’s carpet fitter

An Israeli mafia boss known only as “Mr Itzig” recruited a carpet fitter to help plan burglaries for him. Father-of-three Joseph Schloss did as Mr Itzig and his gang said in the hope  that they would give him enough money to pay off his gambling debts.  But he came unstuck when he arranged a robbery at the home of a Jewish charity director. Schloss, 30, acted as a “facilitator” for Mr Itzig’s shadowy gang to break into the home of Danny Shine and his wife Michelle Barnett, director of Gift, a charity which encourages young Jews to do volunteering work. But Schloss was under pressure to repay at least £30,000 that he owed the gang and in September he stole the keys to the Shine family home while taking carpet measurements for them in Hendon, north west London. The next day, burglars stole thousands of pounds of cash and jewellery. Schloss was jailed for 16 months at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday.  The court heard how the true extent of his addiction and debts unravelled after he admitted his role in the crime.

Manager stole $200K from York orchestra

Authorities now say a former office manager for a central Pennsylvania orchestra stole more than $200,000, in part to support a gambling addiction. York Police charged 55-year-old Phyllis Ann Shoff with stealing nearly $150,000 from the York Symphony Orchestra last week. That’s on top of about $58,000 she’d already been charged with taking. Orchestra officials say they noticed the money was missing in June. Police say their investigation revealed the thefts started in 2004. Investigators say Shoff wrote herself checks, largely under an alias. She also allegedly wrote checks out to a former orchestra musician but cashed them herself.

300,000 bets of addict thief

A gambling addict carried out 300,000 transactions on a betting website in two years, a court has heard. Jin Song Zhao (33) of Beresford House, Custom House Square, Dublin pleaded  guilty to 14 counts of stealing a total of €36,800 from a family run Centra  shop at Pearse Street, Dublin between November 2009 and June 2011. Zhao was the manager of the Centra shop and pocketed money from customers to  pay for his betting addiction.  Judge Patricia Ryan sentenced Zhao to four years imprisonment with the last  three suspended and ordered that Zhao then leave the country for 10 years.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

Top Florida Cabinet Members Join in Opposition of Proposed Destination-Casinos

Casino Watch Focus reported that a diverse group of individuals and groups were standing strong in their opposition to the Destination Casinos bill introduced by  Senator Ellyn Bogandoff.  The more mainstream groups that oppose expanded gambling include Disney, The Florida Chamber of Commerce, The Florida Hotel and Lodging Association, and The Florida Attractions Association.

Joining them is a coalition anti-gambling groups such as the No Casino, the Florida Baptist Convention, the Florida Catholic Conference, Florida Casino Watch and Florida Family Action.  The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling not only provided the statistics for current gambling issues, but they also went as far as to say that the state’s policymakers shouldn’t expand  gambling until it gets its house in order.  If that collective opposition wasn’t representative enough of those in Florida, now all three of the Florida Cabinet members have come out against these Vegas-style destination casinos.  The Palm Beach Post reports:

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam joined forces Thursday with a coalition of law enforcement officers, social conservatives and business lobbyists determined to kill a proposal to allow three more casinos in Florida.

The pair are the state’s highest-ranking GOP officials to publicly oppose the “destination resorts” bill now working its way through the state legislature. A spokeswoman for Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater, the third member of the Florida Cabinet and also a Republican, said later that he opposes the measure, too.

That leaves Gov. Rick Scott as the only executive wild card. Scott has not taken a firm stance on the measures (SB 710, HB 487), although he has repeatedly said he does not want the state to become dependent on revenues generated by the casinos. He also has said he doesn’t want a casino going into a county unless voters there approve first.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 12/12 – 12/18

Man sentenced to three life terms for Tenafly triple murders

Convicted triple-murderer Kang Hyuk Choi was sentenced Wednesday to three concurrent life terms for the stabbing deaths of three members of a Tenafly family three years ago. Defense attorney Francis Meehan said Choi had a serious gambling addiction that depleted his finances and ruined his credit. He came into contact with Sean Kim, who had posted an online ad to help people repair their credit, Meehan said. Choi later began working for Kim, who promised him that he could earn up to $20,000 a month, Meehan said.  Choi became angry when the money never came, and after an argument at Kim’s home in May 2008, he stabbed Kim with a large kitchen knife, Choi said during his guilty plea in September. Choi then went after Kim’s uncle, Doo Soo Seo, and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving the blade inside the 70-year-old man’s body, Mello said. He then rummaged through the house, stole $30,000 in cash and fled in Kim’s BMW, Mello said.

 Troopers: Riverview man heads to casino after killing one, injuring two in crash

28-year-old man who troopers said caused a crash that killed one driver and sent two others to the hospital was arrested at the Hard Rock Casino late Sunday after fleeing the scene. Henry Michael Tippins, 28, of Riverview faces 12 charges in the aftermath of a deadly hit-and-run at the intersection of Hillsborough Avenue and 56th Street. According to Florida Highway Patrol records, Tippins was intoxicated just before 8:30 p.m. while driving a 2003 white Hummer west on Hillsborough Avenue. After searching for several hours, Tippins was located at the Hard Rock Casino, where troopers said he went directly after the crash.

 Ex-Fry’s exec in kickback scheme told to pay $65M

A former Fry’s Electronics executive convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in a multimillion dollar kickback scheme has been sentenced to six years in prison. Ausaf Siddiqui was also ordered on Thursday to pay $65.5 million in restitution. Last week, Siddiqui’s lawyer asked U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel for a three-year sentence rather than the six-year term negotiated in a plea agreement. He said his client committed the crimes to pay off enormous debts resulting from a gambling addiction.  Siddiqui has acknowledged embezzling millions of dollars from Fry’s between 2004 and 2008 by forcing vendors to pay kickbacks to ensure the company stocked their products. He filed for bankruptcy in July, listing nearly $137 million in debt, including about $20 million owed to Las Vegas casinos.

 Former AIDS group official pleads guilty to embezzling more than $100K

The former executive director of a Boston area nonprofit organization for individuals living with HIV/AIDS pleaded guilty today to charges of embezzling more than $100,000 from the organization due to a gambling problem. Valerie Tebbetts pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to three counts of larceny, and one count of making false entries in corporate books during the time she worked at the Boston Living Center. She was sentenced to five years of probation. During that time, she is expected to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings, pay $123,500 in restitution funds to the center, and stay away from casinos and Massachusetts lottery games.

 NY bank teller stole $240K, arrested at casino

A former bank teller stole more than $240,000 from work, left an apologetic note for his boss and was arrested days later playing baccarat at an Atlantic City casino, prosecutors say. A former bank teller stole more than $240,000 from work, left an apologetic note for his boss and was arrested days later playing baccarat at an Atlantic City casino, prosecutors say.

Gambling addict embezzles $1m from audio showroom

An audio equipment salesman embezzled more than $1 million of his employer’s money, blowing most of it at a casino.  Gambling addict Tang Yong Kwok carried on swindling victims even after he was sacked from the showroom – coming up with a new ruse to cheat his customers, some of whom were old friends. The 31-year-old was jailed for six years on Monday.  The court heard he was in debt to loan sharks and gambled regularly at Marina Bay Sands, as well as on the 4-D lottery.

 Former Casino Worker Allegedly Steals Over $1 Million

Officials at Mountaineer Casino and Racetrack are trying to figure out how a former worker could steal over one million dollars. One thing we have confirmed is that 48 year-old Anita Ambler was in a position to do so. Ambler had been working as a bookkeeper at the Casino since the 1990′s. Over the time investigators and the FBI found that Ambler had allegedly been funneling money into several bogus accounts.  Ambler faces 42 felony charges including: 21 counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of wire fraud, and 6 counts of transacting in criminal proceeds.

 Former York Symphony Orchestra manager charged with stealing more than $200,000

A woman told police she stole more than $200,000 from the York Symphony Orchestra to support her gambling addiction while she was the orchestra’s office manager, according to charging documents. Phyllis Ann Shoff, 55, who also used the name Phyllis Ann LoPresti, faces five counts of theft by deception and two counts of access-device fraud. In an interview with Follmer on Aug. 11, Shoff “admitted that she had stolen money belonging to the YSO, saying only that she had a gambling problem and she didn’t realize the extent of her problem,” according to charging documents.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

Facebook to Test Real-Money Online Gambling in UK; the Lure of Children Amongst Real-Fears

Casino Watch Focus originally reported that Facebook banned online advertisements in the United States and other jurisdictions where online gambling is illegal.  Where as it might appear Facebook was taking a hard line stance against gambling, new reports may prove otherwise.  Currently, Facebook uses a virtual money system for several of their games/apps.  A user can purchase credits that can then be used in the virtual setting for the purchase of games or items from various developers.  The online Tech Site ZDNet, reported that Facebook is now considering replacing their virtual money system with real money. The move is designed to open the doors to full scale online gambling on Facebook.  ZDNet explains:

Facebook already offers a virtual currency option known as Facebook Credits, which is used extensively in Facebook apps like social games, but the social networking giant is also reportedly interested in supporting the exchange of real money in the online gambling market. The company wants to open up the Facebook Platform to online gambling, possibly as soon as in Q1 2012. This past summer, Palo Alto held exploratory talks with approximately 20 online gaming experts, consultants, and social gaming entrepreneurs, and now it’s moving forward.

More specifically, Facebook is looking at handing out eight licenses, two per vertical, to the online gambling operators in regulated markets such as the UK, according to EGR. The company has drawn up initial licenses for different gambling operators: Gamesys, which has some 1.7 million monthly Facebook users and 888 are reportedly first in line. You read that right: gambling apps could soon start appearing on the Facebook Platform.

Its worth noting that Facebook is only looking to begin testing in the UK and if they find success, then they would  likely branch out to other countries where its legal to gamble online (which would currently exclude the United States).  As one could imagine, Facebook’s actions are drawing the ire of those in the UK concerned with the most vulnerable – their children.  The UK Daily Mail explains:

Facebook is being accused of luring children into gambling through plans to introduce real cash games. The world’s biggest social network site wants to use Britain as a testing ground for games that would let users gamble on virtual fruit machines, bingo, poker and roulette. Last night  critics expressed fears that the proposals will create a generation who believe that gambling is safe and fun.

More than 3million Facebook users in the UK are aged between 13 and 17. A further million are estimated to be under 13 but pretending to be older.  Dr Robert Lefever, founding director of the Promis Recovery Centre which treats addicts, said: ‘Introducing gambling to Facebook is a cynical way for the gambling industry to find new markets, making gambling look acceptable. ‘There will be young people who think these games have Facebook approval, that you can gamble and it’s fun. It’s not – gambling destroys families.’

Lauri Moyle, of Christian Action Research Education (CARE), said: ‘Because there is a link between the age when people start gambling and the likelihood of developing a difficulty controlling their gambling, protecting children from the normalisation of gambling is vital.’

Professor Mark Griffiths, of Nottingham Trent University, added: ‘Even when no money changes hands, young children are learning the mechanics of gambling. These games can be a gateway to more serious gambling.’

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 12/05 – 12/11

Florida Rep. Erik Fresen, Pro-Gambling Lawmaker, Owes Thousands To The IRS

Over the past six months, state Rep. Erik Fresen has established himself as the go-to-politician for the gambling industry tycoons who want to bring gargantuan casino resorts to the Magic City. The lawmaker from Coral Gables is the mastermind behind one of two proposed bills that would allow Malaysian-based Genting or one of its Las Vegas competitors to build gambling castles in downtown Miami or the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Then again, considering Fresen’s own troubles with paying the IRS, maybe it’s no shock that he’s not putting taxpayers first.According to Miami-Dade court records, Fresen owes close to thirty grand in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and $641,000 to his mortgage lender. For a guy who claims a personal net worth of $330,000, that is a lot a debt. Even worse, he didn’t list the obligations on his most recent personal financial disclosure statements.

Man murdered in JB was gambling addict, wife-beater

The ex-wife of the Singaporean man who was kidnapped and murdered in Johor Bahru revealed that he was a gambling addict who chalked up about $36,000 in debts and physically abused her. In an attempt to repay his loans, he even asked her to become a prostitute, telling her that it was a job that paid well, Lianhe Wanbao reported. Madam Lim Kum Hui, 54, was married to the deceased Mr Sim Chee Yong, 56, more than 30 years ago for a short three years. He later married a Malaysia woman, Madam Lim Chai Mooi, 50.

 Prison sentence for central figure in stolen insulin ring

As early as 2003, Worley began sending stolen insulin and diabetic test strips to Pepin, prosecutors say. He would ship an average of 100 vials of insulin a week, then Pepin would put money in Worley’s PayPal account. The business paid well. Worley got more than $620,00 from Pepin, prosecutors say. The money went to casinos and for lottery tickets to fed his gambling addiction. But he was only one of more than 50 suppliers. Pepin had been buying stolen insulin and glucose test strips since 2001 and paid more than $9.8 million for them in just five years, court documents say. The feds have closed Pepin’s business for good. On Friday, the 57-year-old Florida man was sentenced to 28 months in prison in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He was also ordered to pay $823,577 in restitution.

 Ex-FEMA worker’s husband going to jail for Katrina fraud

A Moss Point man, whose wife is in prison for using a FEMA database for a disaster-assistance scam, is also going to prison for his role in one of the country’s largest Hurricane Katrina fraud schemes. Charles Ricco Moore Sr., 36, has been sentenced to 27 months in prison followed by three years of probation. He also must help his wife, LaShonda Booker-Moore, and her cousin, Peggy Hilton, repay $66,295.32. Court papers show that is the amount of money he allowed to be deposited in his bank account. The two women and at least three other South Mississippi residents were convicted in a scam that involved more than $721,000 in disaster-assistance money. “Due to my gambling addiction, I committed a money crime,” Booker-Moore said in a letter addressed from a federal prison in Coleman, Fla. “My husband is not stupid, but he loved me very much and he was very naive,” she wrote. “I know it was all my fault that my husband and our children are in this terrible situation today.”

 Rep. John Tierney’s brother-in-law found guilty

Daniel Eremian, the brother-in-law of U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney, was found guilty today of racketeering and illegal gaming in connection with a family run multimillion-dollar Internet betting empire, but was cleared of money laundering charges by the same federal jury. Eremian, 61, a self-described professional gambler who rose from Peabody pub owner to Boca Raton country clubber through the profits from Antigua-based Sports Off Shore, will be sentenced March 8 together with his debt collector Todd Lyons. Lyons, 38, of Beverly, was convicted today of racketeering, illegal gaming, money laundering, filing false tax returns and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

 Ex-NBA star gets probation in Vegas casino case

Former NBA star Antoine Walker was sentenced Tuesday to five years of probation and ordered to pay $770,050 in restitution to three Las Vegas casinos after pleading guilty to failing to repay gambling debts. Walker and his lawyer declined to comment after his brief appearance before Clark County District Court Judge Valorie Vega. Walker has repaid some of his Las Vegas casino debts since his arrest in July 2009 in Lake Tahoe, where he planned to play in a celebrity golf tournament. The felony charge could be dismissed if Walker fully repays the remaining debts incurred in 2008 and 2009 at the Planet Hollywood, Red Rock Casino Resort and Caesars Palace casinos, prosecutor Samuel Bateman said. Walker faces a year in prison if he violates probation.

 Bank robbery suspect arrested after using dye-stained cash at casino, police say

A  Waukegan man charged with robbing  a Naperville bank at gunpoint last month of more than $134,000 was arrested after he tried to use the dye-stained cash at a Hammond casino, authorities said. “That’s what you call low-hanging fruit,” said Ross Rice, a spokesman for the FBI, which investigated the case. This isn’t the first time Wayne Hill, 46, has been captured after allegedly robbing a bank. In 2004, he was arrested after robbing two Lake County banks wearing a fake beard, then tossing a bag with  the costume beard and a box of blank checks with his own name and Waukegan home address on a Libertyville man’s front lawn.

 Ex-Fry’s exec in kickback scheme told to pay $65M

A former Fry’s Electronics executive convicted of wire fraud and money laundering in a multimillion dollar kickback scheme has been sentenced to six years in prison. Ausaf Siddiqui was also ordered on Thursday to pay $65.5 million in restitution. Last week, Siddiqui’s lawyer asked U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel for a three-year sentence rather than the six-year term negotiated in a plea agreement. He said his client committed the crimes to pay off enormous debts resulting from a gambling addiction. Siddiqui has acknowledged embezzling millions of dollars from Fry’s between 2004 and 2008 by forcing vendors to pay kickbacks to ensure the company stocked their products. He filed for bankruptcy in July, listing nearly $137 million in debt, including about $20 million owed to Las Vegas casinos.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

Florida Gambling Council Points to Dangers of Expanded Gambling

Casino Watch Focus has been reporting on the ongoing gambling expansion debate that has consumed the Florida political and financial landscape.  As lawmakers continue to focus on the politics and financial gains or pitfalls, the Florida Gambling Council is providing prospective on the real danger to Florida families.  An online source explains:

Throwing some cold water on casino fever, the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling says the state isn’t addressing the addiction problems it has now.

“It is not responsible policymaking to even consider expansion without taking steps to mitigate the current issues,” FCCG executive director Pat Fowler told Sunshine State News.

Fowler said the state needs to get its own house in order first.

“We already have a quarter-million people with [gambling-addiction] problems. But the state has decided not to do anything to mitigate that problem,” she said.

The Council has been vocal about the lack of resources they have been given to combat Florida’s gambling related problems.  This year alone the Council “received just $264,000 for the current fiscal year — barely a third of the compulsive-gambling fees paid to the state by Broward and Miami-Dade slot operators.” The gambling related problems in Florida have been getting worse.  The Sunshine State News reports the Councils findings:

Meantime, FCCG painted a grim picture of gambling-related problems already extant in Florida:

According to problems reported by HelpLine callers in the past year:

Crime: 35 percent reported they resorted to committing illegal acts to finance their gambling.

Unemployed/Public Assistance: 25 percent reported they were unemployed and/or collecting state assistance.

Suicide: Those reporting having suicidal ideation or attempts rose significantly from 11 percent to 16 percent of callers.

Primary Gambling Problem: The most frequently cited primary gambling problem was slots, 46 percent; cards, 33 percent; and lottery, 11 percent.   

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 11/28 – 12/04

Security guard shot to death during robbery in NE Harris County

A security guard at an illegal gambling business was shot and killed during a robbery early this morning. Another person is hurt.  It all happened with customers inside and now the search is on for the two robbers who took off with an unknown amount of cash. It happened just before 5am on Beaumont Highway and Sheldon Road.  Detectives tell us when  deputies were first called out, they thought they were headed to a shooting at a tire shop.  But they say the men who robbed the place knew it was an illegal gaming operation.

 Tobey Maguire to Pay $80G to Settle Illegal Poker Ring Lawsuit

Actor Tobey Maguire has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed in connection with an illegal underground poker ring allegedly funded by victims of a Ponzi scheme. The “Spider-Man” star will pay $80,000 to settle the suit, TMZ reported Monday, citing court documents. According to the suit, Maguire took in more than $300,000 in winnings. The money had allegedly been embezzled by hedge fund manager Bradley Ruderman, who is currently in jail. The games were allegedly led by Ruderman, CEO of Ruderman Capital Partners, and funded with $25 million in defrauded investors’ money. They were unlicensed and therefore illegal under California law.

St. George millionaire arrested for allegedly writing bad $100K check in Vegas

Indicted St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson spent several hours in jail Sunday after being arrested on a warrant for allegedly writing a bad check for $100,000 at a Las Vegas casino last year. According to the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, Johnson wrote a $100,000 check for cash or gaming chips at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and casino Nov. 26, 2010, that he did not have sufficient funds to cover. A judge issued an arrest warrant for Johnson on Oct. 20, 2011. In addition to the criminal charge, Johnson faces a Federal Trade Commission complaint filed last December alleging he bilked more than $275 million from online consumers by charging their credit cards for services they didn’t sign up for. A federal court in Nevada seized his assets and placed him under tight financial restrictions.

Mother stole £50,000 from employers to fund husband’s gambling debts

Lorna Brand, 54, operated a two and a half year scam in which she pocketed £53,167 from two different employers, Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday. The mother of four was left in charge of the firms’ finances and wrote herself a number of cheques which prosecutors think were used to pay off thousands of pounds worth of debt. The court heard how Brand was forced to act illegally because her estranged husband frittered his wages away on gambling. Brand, of West Calder, West Lothian, pleaded guilty to two charges of embezzlement before Sheriff James Scott who warned her that he is considering imposing jail time.

Bank executive from Congers gets 33 months, must repay theft of $670,000

A Congers bank executive was sentenced Tuesday to 33 months in prison and ordered to repay more than $670,000 he stole to cover his gambling losses. Shawn Reilly, 34, held several positions with the Union Bank of Switzerland, or UBS, from 1999 until April, said Tom Carson, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney David B. Fein, in a statement issued Tuesday evening. Between February 2009 and April of this year, while employed as a director of the bank’s settlements group in Stamford, Conn., Reilly made 84 fraudulent wire transfers that moved $673,447 of UBS money into his personal bank account, Carson said.

Reilly told investigators that his involvement in gambling began as a youth and continued through his years at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, where he was a scholarship baseball player and a member of the basketball team. After Reilly graduated in 1999 and found full-time employment, the problem escalated, eventually spinning out of control around 2007. Reilly admitted to using his position as director to force employees below him to make false journal entries and false wire transfers into his bank account. The employees had no idea the journal entries were bogus and did not know the money was being transferred to Reilly, Carson said.

Phila. district attorney receives $150,000 grant to help fight illegal gambling

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is throwing good money after bad. The board handed over $150,000 to District Attorny Seth Williams this morning to support the investigation and prosecution of illegal gambling activity in Philadelphia. The money comes from the board’s Local Law Enforcement Grant and will be used for the salaries of the members of the DA’s Gaming Control Task Force.

Cottage Grove woman sentenced after collecting welfare while hitting casino jackpot

Reyes won thousands of dollars gambling, all the while unlawfully cashing in on the welfare system. The Cottage Grove woman had unusual luck at the casino, netting nearly $300,000 in winnings over a three year period. During that time, she also was collecting food support, medical assistance and child care benefits that exceeded $20,000, according to court records. Reyes’ luck ran out early last year when Washington County Community Services notified authorities of a fraud case. The 28-year-old Reyes was later convicted of wrongfully obtaining assistance, a felony.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

Florida Legislator Looking to Replace One Plan of Expanded Gambling for Another

Casino Watch Focus reported that after a Florida appellate court upheld the decision of a lower court to effectively allow legislators to expand gambling without a vote of the people, the anticipated “destination casino” bills were filed.  Now, one Florida House Rep is looking to capitalize on people’s frustrations by enacting a different gambling bill.  The Miami Herald explains:

In an attempt to shift the debate from Miami casinos to the state’s bottom line, state Rep. Joe Abruzzo is filing a bill Wednesday to direct Gov. Rick Scott to give the Seminole Tribe exclusive operation of casino games in Florida for 15 more years in exchange for an annual guarantee of $750 million.

The four-page bill would authorize the governor to re-open the 20-year gambling compact signed in 2009 by Gov. Charlie Crist that now requires the Seminole Tribe of Florida to guarantee $1 billion in the first five years in exchange for the exclusive right to offer table games in Miami Dade and Broward and slot machines outside of South Florida. The tribe now pays an average of $150 million a year under the agreement.

 Abruzzo is trying to disguise the bill as one that would prevent the South Florida designation casinos, prevent expanded gambling and provide more money to the state.  He is selling it as something that wouldn’t expand gambling when he claims that “this still maintains what is a (gambling) deal but would not be that massive of an expansion. Clusters of neighborhoods based around gaming would not be popping up outside of what already exists within Indian reservations.”  However, the Seminoles wouldn’t be supportive of the bill if they had to pay out $750 million to the state with no new revenue or possible venues.  Most interestingly however, the bill would also allow the Compact to be reopened and with it, the chance for more full scale Vegas style gambling.  The Miami Herald goes on to explain what Abruzzo’s motivation for such change could be:

Abruzzo, a gambling supporter, has also filed a local bill that would allow the Palm Beach County Kennel Club to start offering slot machines – a measure that, if passed, would violate the current gambling compact with the state.

It seems plausible that he is simply attempting to allow additional gambling at current Seminole locations, while altering the compact to allow for slots and other gambling in new locations.  Either way, bills like this draw a skeptical eye and typically for good reason.  The best support to protect the families of Florida is to oppose any new attempts at expanding gambling in the state, even those who’s authors claim it “wouldn’t be that massive of an expansion.” 

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

A Brief Look at Crime 11/21 – 11/27

Gambling losses drive man to suicide

Three months after a gambler jumped to death from a club at Begumpet due to heavy losses, a rice miller from Karimnagar on Monday ended his life by consuming liquor laced with poison in a city lodge, after allegedly losing money in gambling. T Divakar Rao (58) was a rice miller from Pothugal village in Karimnagar district. According to police, the rice miller checked into room no. 106 in Sun Lodge on November 4. Ever since he checked in, he used to venture out before noon and return only late in the night. “Divakar has membership in clubs like Chiraan Fort Club, Begumpet and GVR Club, Bowenpally and we found the identity cards in the hotel room,’’ police said. Apart from these two clubs, Divakar used to play cards in other clubs as well, police said. On Monday morning around 6.30 a.m, Divakar called the lodge supervisor Ramesh and asked for house-keeping staff to clean the room. A house staff Jagan who went into the room found Divakar dead.

 Former Pamrapo exec Brian Campbell sentenced to 6 months for embezzling $571,000

The former executive with the investment arm of the former Pamrapo Savings Bank got a slap on the wrist today when he was sentenced to six months in prison for embezzling $571,000, far short of what the federal guidelines suggest. Campbell, 42, the managing director of the Pamrapo Service Corporation, faced up to 20 years in prison, and federal sentencing guidelines called a prison term of 46 to 57 months.  But after listening to impassioned pleas from both Campbell and his attorney, Michael Rogers, Judge Dickinson Deveboise gave the Bayonne man and son of a former Pamrapo Savings CEO six months in prison and a $300,000 fine. He was also ordered to pay back the $571,000 he embezzled. The judge also ordered three years of supervision and Campbell must undergo gambling therapy and is barred from gambling establishments.

Parkwood president: Embezzler took at least $150K from HOA

Between $150,000 and $200,000 was embezzled from the Parkwood Homeowners Association in the past 2½ years – some of it apparently used for unauthorized trips to Las Vegas, Miami and other gambling destinations – and the group, which represents more than 1,000 homes in the southern Durham community, probably won’t get its money back.  That’s according to Michael Brooks, president of the Parkwood association, who said the group’s office administrator has been suspended without pay, but no one has yet been charged in the theft. The loss of money, which was discovered Sept. 21, has meant the association has had to suspend much of its lawn care and other maintenance. But the group has applied for a short-term, $30,000 loan to help it resume normal maintenance operations.

Nearly 1,400 criminals arrested in China

Beijing : A total of 1,395 people allegedly involved in criminal gangs have been captured in a massive nationwide campaign in China, the government said. A statement issued by the ministry of public security said the campaign was launched by police in 11 provinces, Xinhua reported. At least 20 mafia-style organisations and 121 gangs were crushed during the campaign, it said. This included gangs involved in monopolising local seafood markets with force and gangs involved in illegal operation of casinos.

Bankruptcy fraud gets Corvallis man two years in jail            

A Corvallis man has been sentenced to two years in prison for bankruptcy fraud. According to court documents, Viengkham Virasak, 44, of Corvallis, obtained more than $384,000 by opening more than 50 credit cards in the names of his father, mother, brother and sister without their knowledge to feed a gambling addiction, U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall said in a news release. He later filed for bankruptcy protection in the names of his family members and impersonated them at bankruptcy proceedings, the news release said. Once his family discovered the scheme, Virasak tried to persuade his family to help him conceal the fraud.

IRS: Brothers’ gambling biz laundered $10 million

The Antigua gambling website the feds say made U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney’s in-laws rich off others’ lousy luck laundered $9.63 million in checks alone that the Internal Revenue Service says bettors made payable to shell companies to disguise their illegal habit. IRS Special Agent Sandra Lemanski testified today in federal district court that between 2002 and 2010, fugitive Robert Eremian deposited $4,964,654 in a Bay State bank account managed by his sister Patrice Tierney while he was overseas, claiming to be a software consultant. Lemanski testified today that Lyons, between 1997 and 2005, collected nearly $20 million in gambling losses from SOS agents handling local bettors. She also verified the claim of prosecutors that Patrice Tierney gave herself $223,047 in tax-free “gifts” from Robert Eremian’s account for looking after his Lynnfield home and his children. Tierney, on the witness stand Monday, could not recall an exact dollar figure.

NCAA probing Hawaii point-shaving allegations 

The NCAA says it’s taking point-shaving allegations  involving University of Hawaii football players seriously and has been  in contact with the school since early this month. The association says in a statement Wednesday it’s “extremely  concerned” about the allegations. The NCAA says such a crime threatens  the well-being of student-athletes and the integrity of intercollegiate  sports.  The university says the admissions office received an anonymous  letter Nov. 3 accusing unnamed players of intentionally playing poorly  to affect the final score as part of a gambling scheme. Honolulu police and the NCAA were notified. However, police say they don’t have enough information to launch an investigation.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION

Anti-Gambling Groups Ask to Join Florida Supreme Court Case

Casino Watch Focus reported that the appellate court decision that lead to the new “destination casinos” debate had been appealed to the Supreme Court.  The case has incredible implications toward the future of gambling expansion.  As such, other groups are looking to join the legal side making the appeal.  The Orlando Sentinel explains:

No Casinos has asked the Supreme Court to allow the anti-gambling group to join a case over whether Hialeah Racetrack can have slot machines, by filing briefs in support of Calder Race Course.

The Orland-based group was joined by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Florida Attractions Association. None of the four groups had sought to intervene when the case was heard by a Tallahassee circuit judge or the 1st District Court of Appeals, so the justices will have to give them permission to intervene now.

Calder, supported by other South Florida pari-mutuels, is contesting a 1st DCA ruling that allows slots at Hialeah Racetrack and permits the Legislature to expand gambling instead of requiring voters to approve all gambling expansion projects.

For more information on the dangers of gambling, please visit CASINO WATCH & CASINO WATCH FOUNDATION