Defendants Tied to California Online Sports Betting Ring Enter Pleas, Released

Some of the 18 people indicted and arrested for running an online sports betting website out of California and Lima, Peru have entered pleas and were released.

A La Costa real estate agent pleaded not guilty Thursday to operating an illegal gambling business as part of an alleged international, violent enterprise run by Internet and phone for the past decade, according to The San Diego Union Tribune.

Howard Alan Blum, 51, was in custody when he appeared in downtown federal court for arraignment.

Magistrate Judge William McCurine Jr. agreed to release Blum on $50,000 bond, to be secured by his $1.3 million condominium.

Hee Kow, 36, from Peru, surrendered in San Diego Thursday and pleaded not guilty before the same judge.

Federal authorities indicted the men for running a website MachoSports.com.  The complaint alleges that the defendants ran an extortion ring as part of the gambling operation.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com