National Gambling Crime

Another Government Seizure Attacks Gambling:

Authorities had sufficient evidence to take the money under the UIGEA and money laundering pretexts. Funds were forfeitable due to the nature of the funds being associated with illegal gambling activities and money laundering transactions.

Arts group treasurer charged with $400,000:

Charged with embezzling about $400,000. The 28-year-old Benker had a gambling problem.

Cape clients betrayed by crooked attorneys:

John Roberts stole more than $100,000 from her mother. She says she felt "physically assaulted" when she learned Roberts used the money to finance a gambling habit... Roberts, now disbarred, pleaded guilty to stealing $137,000 from the estate of Alice May of Sandwich... He was arraigned on a charge of larceny by a single scheme in the theft of $650,000 from Norm Sasville... Allen, whose inheritance was partially stolen by Roberts, expressed similar feelings. Her mother, Alice May, had considered Roberts a friend.

Cockfighting ring, meth lab, weapons:

An investigation into a cockfighting ring has unearthed a criminal enterprise in southeastern Pierce County, complete with cockfighting, illegal gambling, a marijuana grow operation and meth lab.

Penrod treasurer charged with theft:

James Voyles. Benker faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Voyles notified Penrod of the missing money in November, around the time Benker resigned as a junior auditor at Indianapolis-based Somerset CPAs. Brizzi said efforts were under way to make sure no Somerset clients were ripped off. Penrod's board sued Benker in July to recover the money, but the police affidavit suggests little remains. It says Voyles, who has not commented publicly about the matter, told a Penrod official that Benker had a gambling problem and had lost all the money.

Former Immokalee High football standout arrested:

A former Immokalee High School football standout was Tasered and arrested... After a fight at the Seminole Casino Immokalee, When Collier deputies arrived at the casino, they found broken glass from beer bottles on the floor and witnessed two men bleeding. The deputies also found two other men, one of them later identified as Rolle, acting belligerent while being restrained by security guards, Rolle led the Immokalee High Indians to an undefeated regular season in 2000. All the men were charged with disorderly conduct.

Might Repay $400K:

May have to pay $450,000 back to the organization. Danny Rennels has been charged with embezzling the money. The 58-year-old allegedly took the money to feed a gambling problem. Advertising, sponsorship, and money from parents and students attending high school events was gambled online on poker websites. 10 different accusations. They include $160,000 from a Danny Rennels orchestrated sale of a Lamar Billboard.

stockbroker gets 21-month sentence:

Alton to 21 months in federal prison Friday after a prosecutor said the defendant continued to gamble, even after he was fired for stealing other people's money to do so. The government has evidence that Harrison continued to gamble at casinos in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo., even after he was fired in 2008 by Stifel Nicolaus when they caught him taking clients' money. Brock, 67, had no other retirement fund than what he provided for himself by investing the money he earned. The man he trusted to give him investment advice, Harrison, took money that was not his and gambled it away, Brock said. Brock noted that while he was trying to salt away a little money for retirement, Harrison was leading the good life. Harrison then racked up debts of $150,000.

slapped for bad behavior:

Prostitution and drugs, holding nightclubs and casinos responsible. 'We have rules,' a Nevada gaming regulator says. Slapped the Planet Hollywood casino with a $500,000 fine for its Prive nightclub's bad behavior, including "topless and lewd activity" and dumping club-goers in the casino "in various states of consciousness." Rio closed its Sapphire topless pool, managed by a local gentleman's club, after authorities arrested 10 people on suspicion of prostitution and drug crimes. Eight more arrests on similar charges were made at the Hard Rock Hotel's pool club, Rehab. Though the clubs are reliable moneymakers and publicity machines, some have vexed officials with their fraternity-style antics -- including stripping contests, fistfights, and alleged drug use and sexual assaults. Some clubs launched stripping contests; others tried to sneak around no-nudity ordinances by slathering women in body paint. At Prive, patrons were involved in drugs and brawls.

confesses to stealing $46,000:

Blue and Gold Club is scrambling to regroup after the nonprofit's longtime treasurer confessed to embezzlement. The treasurer told booster club president Renee Boyd that she had stolen about $46,000 over the past eight years, mainly to feed a gambling habit. Students were left reeling in the wake, unsure of how they would pay for such extracurricular necessities as shoes and pads for various sports, transportation to competitions, activities for students in special education and, in the case of the French Club, an eagerly anticipated trip to Paris in the spring. The Blue and Gold Club is the umbrella organization for many such fundraisers. Students have individual accounts and work various jobs such as at local restaurants, and at Mariner and Seahawk games, as well as selling merchandise for fundraisers and helping run the concession stands at Marauder home games. They don't immediately see any of the fruits of their labor.

More Account Seizures in the United States:

The reasons given for the seizure were that the accounts handled the proceeds of an illegal gambling business and were involved in money laundering transactions. The US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia opined that the UIGEA... Was not a federal law and could be applied only in those states where Internet gambling is explicitly illegal.

OSSAA ex-official Danny Rennels charged:

Monday of embezzling $457,500 from the private association that regulates high school sports in Oklahoma. He had embezzled the money and spent it on Internet gambling, The prosecutor said the Internet gambling involved at least poker. The charge is the latest in a string of embezzlement cases this year that have hurt state agencies and other private associations.

Oklahoma casinos abound:

Muskogee County Court Clerk's office, a daughter of a Baptist deacon, began crumbling several years ago as Native American casinos began proliferating across Oklahoma. Borovetz is one of a number of state, local and business officials who have been accused of stealing money to pay gambling debts. "Now you see more and more casino gamblers." The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates about 8 million people nationally are pathological or problem gamblers, which would translate to about 75,000 people in Oklahoma, She started spending all of her monthly pay at the casino. She devised a scheme to defraud the state and Muskogee County of $594,230... Former director of audits for the Commissioners of the Land Office, Accused... Of taking more than $1.16 million... Has a gambling problem. Former executive secretary for a private association that regulates high school sports in Oklahoma, was charged Monday with embezzling $457,500 from the organization. Gambled the money away.

Apparent Suicide:

 Rod Blagojevich and died last weekend in an apparent suicide. Kelly's marriage had foundered and he was living apart from his three young daughters. His finances were in ruins and he was already facing prison on a different charge of cheating the Internal Revenue Service. It was a shock to close followers of Chicago politics and the Blagojevich scandal when Kelly died... Kelly wagered millions of dollars with an Illinois bookmaking operation and millions more in Las Vegas casinos, according to court documents. As the losses grew, he illicitly siphoned money from his roofing business to pay debts, then falsified his tax returns. He pleaded guilty in June.

What's Next?:

Where they [banks] are responsible for monitoring and blocking transactions are with debit and credit cards, and that is most likely going to be where you see banks blocking whatever falls into the category of both lawful and unlawful wagering," Only six states have laws against internet gambling... "Part of the problem is there's no definition of what's unlawful, and what's unlawful for one state for one user may not be unlawful in another state under different state laws. IMEGA Chairman Joe Brennan... "That's why the UIGEA is a crappy, insidious law," said Brennan. Lying during this line of questioning could constitute bank fraud, one of the charges listed against Douglas Rennick, who was indicted by the Southern District of New York... Last month. Rennick is accused of providing payment services to online poker players through several shell companies. He believes that it's only a matter of time before states grow hungry for a cut of that booming revenue. As for when and how that situation might come to fruition.