Former Chicago Bears, Jets NFL Player Arrested in Online Gambling Sting

Former NFL player Todd Burger was one of five men arrested over the weekend in a bust of an alleged online gambling operation.

Richard Todd Burger, 37, of Freehold, who played for the Chicago Bears from 1994 to 1997 and the New York Jets in 1998, collected gambling debts for the ring that was targeted in a four-month investigation by the New Jersey State Police and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest said.

Operation Net-Bet Blitz began when authorities learned that gamblers in Somerset County were placing bets through www.beteastsports.com, a Web site connected to the gambling ring, authorities said.

The operation accepted thousands of dollars in illegal sports betting a month, Forrest said.

Authorities said they also seized two computers, financial records, $20 in cash,a CPU unit, financial records, a .357 magnum handgun and a safe containing $900 from one of the suspect's homes.

Burger started all 16 regular-season games for the Jets in 1998. He played for the Bears from 1993-97, starting 24 games.

Earlier Tuesday it was determined that another Internet gambling operator, James Po Ho Cheung, was the victim of an early morning slaying in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Police found Mr. Cheung slumped over the blood splattered steering wheel of his Cadillac.  His operation was 777betz.com. 

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Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com

Originally published December 18, 2007 1:08 pm EST