Crime

Mobster Michael "The Large Guy" Sarno Gets 25 Years Behind Bars

CHICAGO — (Associated Press) - A reputed mob boss known for his wide girth and reputation for violence was sentenced to 25 years in prison today in a federal court in Chicago.

Michael "The Large Guy" Sarno also was ordered to pay nearly $1.8 million in restitution. A jury convicted Sarno, 54, and four co-defendants in 2010 of racketeering and other charges.

Submitted by Guest on, Feb/08/2012

Poker Game Stripper Turned Bank Robber to Enter Plea Deal

Lee Grace Dougherty, one of three siblings charged with robbing a Georgia bank and firing at a police officer, has reached a plea deal agreement with prosecutors on Wednesday.

Submitted by Ace King on, Feb/08/2012

Video Poker Kingpin Gets Three Years Behind Bars

Video poker magnate Casey Szaflarski was sentenced on Tuesday to more than three years behind bars for running an illegal gambling operation.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Feb/08/2012

Federal Judge Won’t Dismiss 'Black Friday' Online Poker Charges

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan on Tuesday refused requests to dismiss all the government’s counts against John Campos, a former vice-chairman of a St. George, Utah bank that allegedly accepted cash infusions on behalf of three major online poker companies:  PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and UB.com/Absolute Poker.   Another payment processor, Chad Elie, is also charged and set to go on trial with Campos next month. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Feb/07/2012

Gunman Shoots Three Brothers at Houston Poker Game

A Houston poker game turned deadly after three brothers were shot, one fatally.

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The gunman, who was not yet identified, asked the three brothers to leave the Houston home.  The unidentified assailant was then asked to leave.  He is said to have gone to his car parked in the driveway and returned with a gun. 

One of the brothers pulled out a gun of his own. 

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Feb/06/2012

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Seizes 16 Live Streaming Sports Sites Days Before Super Bowl

U.S. prosecutors seized 16 websites that streamed live sports events on Friday, just two days prior to Sunday’s Super Bowl.  A Michigan man was charged with running nine of those websites.

Yonjo Quiroa (AKA Ronaldo Solano), 28, faces one count of criminal infringement of a copyright and will likely not serve any prison time.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Feb/04/2012

Bwin.Party Responds to DOJ Megaupload.com Complaint

The world’s largest Internet gambling company, Bwin.Party, responded to the US Department of Justice complaint that mentions its role as part of the high profile Megaupload.com indictment.  Megaupload.com, a file hosting service, was taken down two weeks ago.  The DOJ has accused the website of engaging in copyright infringement and pirating. 

Bwin.Party had advertised on the service and was named in the complaint as a result.  The gaming firm insisted it had terminated the contract with Megaupload.com once it became aware of the file sharing company’s activities.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Feb/03/2012

Online Legal Research Database Firms Updating Info on Internet Gambling Defendant

On Thursday morning it was revealed that various online legal research firms were in the process of updating their databases as it relates to a cooperating witness in an investigation related to Web gambling that many believe was about to begin wrapping up in the coming weeks.  News organizations like Gambling911.com utilize the services of these firms as a means of monitoring case law activities. 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Feb/02/2012

Odds on Whether US Law Enforcement Takes Down Online Sportsbook for Super Bowl 2012

Gambling911.com has been covering all the hundreds of 2012 Super Bowl betting props that are currently out there.  Each year there are always a few novel prop bets such as this year’s What Color Will Madonna’s Hair Be and we’re still waiting on those Gisele Bundchen bets.

So with the US Government’s aggressive action against online gambling websites over this past year, we couldn’t help but wonder what the odds might be for a Super Bowl surprise.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Feb/01/2012

Police Recover Funds Stolen During Jonathan Duhamel Home Invasion

Police announced Wednesday that they had uncovered approximately half of the funds belonging to 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jonathan Duhamel stolen from his home.

Submitted by Ace King on, Feb/01/2012

Chris Ferguson ‘Very Positive Dialog’ With DOJ

One of three individuals alleged to have taken part in an elaborate “ponzi scheme” while acting as a stakeholder in shuttered Full Tilt Poker believes he will soon have his case settled.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/31/2012

Alabama Gambling Corruption Defendant had Filed for Bankruptcy 4 Days Before Death

While police await autopsy results to determine what led to the death of a defendant in a very high profile vote rigging Alabama gambling corruption case, it was revealed on Tuesday that Ray Crosby had filed for bankruptcy just four days prior to his death.

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Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jan/31/2012

Magic KingDOME: Wife of Purple Lounge Casino Director Must Stand Trial After Disney 'Toilet" Incident

The wife of Media Corp PLC Non-Executive Director Chris Gorman will be forced to stand trial after an alleged sexual encounter and assault in an Orlando, Florida nightclub bathroom this past August.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Jan/31/2012

Breaking News: Full Tilt Poker Class Action Suit Thrown Out

The Ifrah law firm won a favorable ruling on behalf of Full Tilt companies and the individual poker professionals who were named as defendants in the first class action suit brought by former U.S. Players in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York last summer. 

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Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/31/2012

Defendant in Alabama Gambling Corruption Case Joseph ‘Ray’ Crosby Found Dead

Police are conducting an investigation into the mysterious death of Joseph “Ray” Cosby over the weekend.  Cosby is one of seven remaining defendants in a federal corruption case tied to gambling in Alabama and was found dead on Sunday, just one day before the start of a second trial in the case.

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Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jan/30/2012

Dougherty Gang Planned Prison Escape After Capture

Three siblings captured after a multistate crime spree, including robbing a Georgia bank and firing at a police officer, planned a brazen escape from a Colorado jail shortly after their detention.

Dylan Dougherty, 26, gout out of his cell in Walsenburg, Colorado, and passed a note to his sister, Lee Grace, advising her he would help break her out of the jail. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/27/2012

Five-Year Long Investigation Into Online Gambling About to Wrap Up?

Gambling911.com sources have revealed that a more than five-year investigation related to online gambling, telemarketing and alleged bank fraud is about to wrap up.

“Law enforcement agencies are under intense pressure to conclude ongoing investigations ahead of inevitable legalization of online poker, casino games and possibly even sports betting,” our source tells us.  “But some of these agencies are just out for blood.”

Submitted by Alejandro Botticelli on, Jan/25/2012

PartyPoker.com, Moneybookers Named in MegaUpload Piracy Indictment

For an industry rattled by US Justice Department domain seizures in recent years, it may not have been too much of a shock seeing PartyPoker.com mentioned as part of the much publicized indictment of video and image hosting website, Megaupload.com.  The site was taken down by US authorities on Thursday with principles in the company charged with conspiracy. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/20/2012

US Attorney Still Bowing to Full Tilt Poker, Pixie Dust Fairies

We at Gambling911.com simply cannot take it any more and apparently neither can much of the rest of the online poker sector.

After months of reporting that a white knight had come to the rescue of Full Tilt Poker players who have been waiting upwards of nine months to get paid and how that white knight was supposedly going to set the US Feds straight by entering into some type of deal to ensure players get paid as two of its executives remain on the lam, the industry is finally coming to its senses and refraining from publication of such banter. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/18/2012

Funds Seized From Players Leaving PokerStars Caribbean Adventure

Three American players had their poker winnings seized by authorities in the Bahamas as they were leaving the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) 2012 this week.

From the Tribune News:

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/18/2012

Another Black Friday Defendant, Ira Rubin, to Plead Guilty

Ira Rubin, a defendant in the April 15, 2011 “Black Friday” sweeping indictments of online poker operators, is set to plead guilty, according to Bloomberg News.  A Manhattan federal court clerk advised the news source. 

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/17/2012

Van der Sloot Sentenced in Peru

Dutchman Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty this week in the murder of Peruvian college student Stephany Flores.  On Friday he was sentenced to 28 years behind bars.

Submitted by Guest on, Jan/13/2012

Joran van der Sloot Pleads Guilty to All Charges Including Murder

Dutchman Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty early Wednesday on all counts against him for the murder of Peruvian college student Stephany Flores. 

"I am really sorry for what happened," he said. He pleaded guilty to "qualified murder" and simple robbery.

Van der Sloot had met Flores in a casino while attending the Latin American Poker Tour in May of 2010. 

Police say van der Sloot killed Flores in his Lima hotel room shortly thereafter, then took money and bank cards from her wallet and fled to Chile, where he was arrested a few days later.

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/11/2012

Connecticut Online Poker ‘Inevitable’ Says Governor

Could Connecticut somehow join a multi-state pact with neighboring New York and New Jersey to pool online poker players should the activity become legal stateside?

Connecticut’s Governor Dannel P. Malloy has been among the most emphatic when it comes to welcoming Web poker to his state since the Department of Justice released a statement that it would no longer apply The Wire Act to Internet poker. 

“It is quite clear that Internet gaming is coming to Connecticut. Period. It’s coming,” said Malloy. “We have a stake in protecting that industry.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jan/10/2012

Bail Denied for Two Assailants in Jonathan Duhamel Attack, Including Ex-Girlfriend

The ex-girlfriend of 2010 World Series of Poker champion Jonathan Duhamel and one other accomplice, John Stephen Clark Lemay, have been denied bail by a Montreal judge.  Both are accused of forced entry into Duhamel’s home along with robbery and a beating of the poker pro that left him hospitalized. 

Anthony Bourque, charged with the home invasion of poker champion Jonathan Duhamel, used his sweatshirt to wipe away his tears after a Quebec Court judge released him on bail today.

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/10/2012

Bail Decision for Bianca Rojas-Latraverse and Accomplices Will Come Tuesday

A Quebec Court judge is weighing a decision to release Bianca Rojas-Latraverse and two other accomplices out on bail after she was charged with orchestrating the forced entry and robbery of her former boyfriend’s home, 2012 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel. 

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Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Jan/09/2012

Poker Pros Girlfriends, Wives From Hell

Poker pros haven’t always been lucky in love, as we have discovered in recent weeks (a la that Jonathan Duhamel home invasion, allegedly planned by his ex).

Phil Laak (The Unabomber) – He may be madly in love with his poker playing girlfriend Jennifer Tilly but talk about a girlfriend from Hell, literally.

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/08/2012

Suspects in Jonathan Duhamel Home Invasion Like Drinking, Being Promiscuous and the Law

When asked during a bail hearing Thursday what interests a woman charged in the home invasion of World Series of Poker champion Jonathan Duhamel, Bianca Rojas Latraverse responded with a smirk:  “I really like law”.

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/06/2012

Joran Van Der Sloot Erratic Courtroom Behavior (Video)

Joran van der Sloot, the Dutchman accused of killing a young Peruvian college student, Stephany Flores, stopped short of pleading guilty on Friday after expressing apprehension over some of the charges.

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/06/2012

Van der Sloot May Plead Guilty

The Dutchman accused of killing a Peruvian woman he met in a casino while attending the Latin American Poker Tour may plead guilty to the murder.  Joran van der Sloot is accused of killing college student Stephany Flores in May of 2010.  He has long been the prime suspect in the disappearance of High School grad Natalee Holloway on the island of Aruba nearly 7 years ago. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Jan/06/2012

Breaking News

Say No to Sportsbook Blacklist

Since Gambling911.com revealed that seven sportsbooks had gotten together to share player information, everybody in the industry is talking.

Online Slots With The Highest Payout Rates

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How to Withdraw Funds From Online Casinos?

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