Crime
Another Man With Ties to Legends Sports Gambling Ring Plead Guilty
Timothy Robillard, 44, pleaded guilty Monday to one felony charge of running an illegal gambling operation. The former Albany, New York corrections officer faces a year of conditional discharge and a $25,000 forfeiture of profits when sentenced in April.
China to Crack Down on Vices Including Gambling, Prostitution
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s government told police across the country to get tough on prostitution, gambling and drugs following an expose in the “sin city” of Dongguan, where a crackdown on prostitution led to the detention of nearly 1,000 people this month.
The announcement, on the Ministry of Public Security’s official website late on Monday, said investigations had begun in several provinces, and police had broken up 73 vice rings and closed down 2410 prostitution and gambling dens over the past week.
Sands Casino Websites Finally Restored Following Hacking
(Associated Press) - Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. has restored its websites a week after they were hacked.
The Las Vegas-based company pulled down its sites Feb. 13 after hackers defaced them with images condemning comments CEO Sheldon Adelson had made about using nuclear weapons on Iran.
Sands restored the websites Monday afternoon. Spokesman Ron Reese says the company first became aware of the hacking on Feb. 12, when company email went down.
WSOP 3 Time Gold Ring Winner Chan Pelton Accused of Pocketing Tournament Chip
A three-time gold ring winner in World Series of Poker circuit events, Chan Pelton, is under investigation for allegedly pocketing a T25,000 chip from the WSOP Circuit Palm Beach Kennel Club in Florida.
Frustration Continues as Sands Las Vegas, Venetian Websites Down Again
One week after a malicious hacking of the Sands Las Vegas casino websites, the progress getting them back up has been especially slow.
Sands Casino Websites Back Up But Slow to Access
Days after a hacking of its various corporate websites, Sands Casino was back up and operational on the Web Saturday evening. Still, the sites were slow to access at times.
The access time had some initial telltale signs of a Denial of Access (DoS) attack though the slow downloads were more likely attributed to routine maintenance.
A DoS attack sends pockets of useless traffic from compromised servers to a website, thus crippling load ability.
Regulators Still Unsure if Sands, Venetian Guest Credit Card Info Compromised
LAS VEGAS – (Associated Press) - A Nevada gambling regulator said Thursday afternoon that it's unclear whether the hackers who knocked down all of Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s websites for three days and counting had stolen patron data, including credit card information.
Second Bitcoin Exchange Halts Withdrawals: Canada to Tighten Grip
A second major bitcoin exchange has temporarily ceased withdrawals following an apparent cyberattack that has seen the anonymous digital currency’s price drop in recent days.
Bitstamp followed the move of Mt.Gox by halting withdrawals after hackers had exploited a bug in some underlying software to carry out the attack.
FBI Confirms Probe of Sands Website Hackings: Credit Card Breach a Concern
Day 3 of the Las Vegas Sands casino websites remaining down following a corporate-wide hacking and it was still unclear as to whether customer credit card information could have been compromised.
At the time of the hacking, employee social security numbers were seen scrolling across the breached website.
Former Full Tilt Poker Operative ‘Malpractice’ Claim Against Attorney Thrown Out
A Nevada district court has thrown out a claim against noted online gambling industry attorney Jeff Ifrah by which a former client asserted “malpractice”.
Chad Elie, a convicted online poker payment processor who was among those indicted during a sweeping crackdown on the industry April 15, 2011, alleged last April that Ifrah gave him misleading professional advice so that he could continue making millions of dollars in commission.
Lawyer in Allied Veterans Gambling Case Sentenced: Faces Dozens of Years Jail time
SANFORD, Fla. (Associated Press) - An attorney for a veterans group that prosecutors say was a $300 million gambling operation is being sentenced for his conviction on 103 counts.
Kelly Mathis faces dozens of years in prison during his sentencing hearing Wednesday.
Las Vegas Sands Not Saying If Customer Credit Card Info Compromised (Video)
Las Vegas Sands officials were not responding to inquiries related to customer credit card information following a hacking of its corporate websites Tuesday that continued to leave its digital services in disarray 36 hours later. The site remained out of commission heading into Thursday.
First They Steal Doyle Brunson’s Identity: Now They Steal His Crutches
80-year-old poker icon Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson tweeted that his crutches had been stolen from an Albertson’s drug store over the weekend.
He tweeted:
Sands Casino Sites Still Down After Hacking: Social Security Numbers Posted
The Sands Las Vegas casino property websites were down throughout the day Tuesday following what appeared to be a website hacking. At one point during the early part of the day it was reported that staff and executive social security numbers were scrolling on the compromised sites.
US, Italian Authorities Arrest 17 Gambino Crime Family Operatives in Massive Sting
(Associated Press) - U.S. and Italian authorities said Tuesday they had broken up a new heroin-and cocaine-trafficking ring coordinated by Italy's powerful 'ndrangheta organized crime syndicate and New York City's Gambino crime family. Seventeen people were arrested in Italy and another seven in New York, officials said.
Match Fixing Probe Finds ICC Chairman Son-In-Law Guilty
NEW DELHI — (Associated Press) - The son-in-law of Indian cricket board boss and ICC chairman-designate Narainswamy Srinivasan has been found guilty of passing on information to illegal bookmakers by a committee investigating match fixing in the Indian Premier League.
Man Arrested for Using Fake Poker Chips at Borgata Made $1 Mil From Pirated DVDs
A North Carolina man charged with using fake poker chips during this past month’s Borgata Winter Open has now been charged with copyright infringement.
Al-Qaida Poker Network Could Help Fund Several 9-11 Styled Attacks (Video)
Vegas casino billionaire and GOP donor Sheldon Adelson may have gone a bit overboard with his latest attack ad suggesting Internet gambling to be a national security threat.
One of the few gaming industry heads opposed to legalized Web gambling in the US, Adelson released his latest anti-online gambling ad on Monday.
Canadian Gambler Files to Bankruptcy to Avoid Paying $12.9 Mil Casino Debt
Canadian gambler and real estate tycoon Semion Kronenfeld has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US with hopes of avoiding the payment of a $12.9 million debt to MGM Grand and Venetian Hotels in Las Vegas.
The 43-year-old is facing decades in prison following a grand jury decision and an arrest warrant has since been issued.
The case against Kronenfeld has lingered on since 2008.
Miami Beach Police Make What Could be First Ever Bitcoin Vendor Arrests
Police in Miami Beach in conjunction with the U.S. Secret Service’s Miami Electronic Crimes Task have arrested two men moving a large amounts of cash in and out of the Bitcoin virtual currency. Experts believe this could be the first case that bitcoin vendors have been charged with a crime.
Johnny Depp Slated to Play Boston Mobster Whitey Bulger in Upcoming Film
Actor Johnny Depp will be playing notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger in a film currently titled “Black Mass”.
The film project will center around the rise and fall of Bulger including his arrest three years ago following years on the run and his ultimate conviction.
Man Who Claimed to Have $700k in Gambling Debts Ordered to Pay Back Wife $10 Mil
A Manhattan judge ordered a default judgment against Steven Lalicata for failing to respond to his wife’s $1 million suit against him.
Archie Karas Hearing on Tap: Accused of Cheated Casino With Card-Making Device
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Anargyros Karabourniotis, better known as Archie Karas, on February 27. He is accused with cheating a San Diego, California area casino through the use of an alleged card-making device. Karas has won and lost millions of dollars over the years.
Poker Legend Doyle Brunson Becomes a Victim of Identity Theft
Legendary poker pro Doyle Brunson, now 80, tweeted Wednesday that he was a victim of identity theft.
The following tweets were made by the Texas Dolly:
Attention banks, lending institutions, stores, etc. Some imposter is out there using my name. He has my social# and mycredit card#.#stopit
‘Cold Case’: Canadian Gambler Indicted for Stiffing Casinos Out of $12.9 Mil
A Canadian gamblers has been indicted by a grand jury for failing to pay back $7.9 million in markers to the Venetian resort and $5 million to the Green Valley Ranch resort, both in Las Vegas.
Real estate magnate Semion Kronenfeld faces 12 counts, including theft and obtaining money under false pretenses, for failing to pay the two casino establishments.
Kronenfeld was first charged in 2008, making this somewhat of a cold case.
Swedish Poker Player Falls From Roof in Macau: Homicide Investigation Underway
An unidentified Swedish poker player has fallen from a roof in the gambling mecca of Macau. Interpol police have begun conducting a homicide investigation.
Sports Betting Ring Taken Down in Rhode Island: 13 Arrested
Thirteen individuals were arrested as part of a crackdown on illegal sports betting in Northern Rhode Island Tuesday. All were arraigned in District Court Providence during the afternoon.
Former Philadelphia Mayor’s Daughter Spared in Mob Gambling Case
PHILADELPHIA - (Associated Press) — The daughter of a former Philadelphia mayor is likely to go free in the latest gambling prosecution of her husband, who admits running a global sports betting ring.
Joanna Mastronardo, daughter of the late Mayor Frank Rizzo, will have a banking charge dropped if other defendants plead guilty to racketeering and gambling charges.
Her husband, Joseph "Joe Vito" Mastronardo Sr., and son, Joseph F. "Joey" Mastronardo, pleaded guilty on Friday.
A federal judge said Tuesday that he will drop her case when they are sentenced.
Disgraced Poker Blogger ‘Who Jedi’ is Now ‘Where Jedi’: Pulls Blog
A poker reporter charged with stealing from dealer chip jars at the Mohegan Sun no longer has his blog up, Thomas Somach reports.
Mastronardo Brothers Cop Plea in Sports Gambling Case
PHILADELPHIA (Associated Press) — Two brothers have pleaded guilty in a gambling case that involves $1 million buried in the yard of the daughter of a former law-and-order mayor of Philadelphia.
