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- Man accused of transferring $3 million to illegal online gambling account
- Golfer Phil Mickelson identified as individual’s “gambling client”
- Second time in two weeks Mickelson’s gambling ties have come to the surface through the legal system
- Mickelson forced to pay fine for allegedly receiving insider trading tip from indicted professional gambler
A California man was sentenced Monday to 12 months and one day in prison for transferring nearly $3 million of pro golfer Phil Mickelson’s money to "an illegal offshore gambling operation."
Gregory Silveira, an avid golfer himself, was charged with three counts of money laundering. Court documents mention an “unnamed gambler” for whom Silveira transferred large sums of money into the betting account between the years 2000 and 2013. ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” identified Mickelson as that golfer.
From ESPN.com:
In court filings, prosecutors said the gambler had used the 57-year-old Silveira, who lists residences in both the Palm Springs area and San Diego, as a conduit to pay a $2.7 million gambling debt he owed to an offshore sportsbook. Silveira's attorney stated in a subsequent filing that Silveira was "friends with a number of individuals who are also avid golfers" and, in this instance, had done a "personal favor to an individual who did not wish his wagering activity to become public."
It is the second time in two weeks Mickelson’s ties to sports betting have made headlines.
A Las Vegas professional gambler and golf course developer, Billy Walters, was ordered to post a $25 million bond, to be secured by $10 million in cash or property, after he pleaded not guilty in New York last Wednesday. Mickelson allegedly received insider trading tips from Walters.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
