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The one time CEO of BetonSports, David Carruthers, has changed withdrawn his "guilty" plea after being indicted on various charges stemming from the operation of the Costa Rican-based online gambling firm, once the largest catering to US sports bettors.
Carruthers had spent three years under house arrest in Missouri after being apprehended at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in July 2006.
In April, he agreed to the guilty plea but in the final days before a formal hearing set for Friday at which a judge was due to sentence him, this plea deal has abruptly broken down, according to the Guardian Newspaper. In a terse legal filing, the court noted late yesterday that "the motion to set aside defendant David Carruthers's guilty plea is granted". A "change of plea" hearing has been set for 14 October.
The reason for Carruthers's apparent change of heart is unclear. Neither Carruthers nor his lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, responded to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the US attorney's office in St Louis said prosecutors would not discuss the case. Several other Betonsports executives are still pleading guilty, including the company's founder, Gary Kaplan.
Catherine Hannaway, who was overseeing the case, is no longer the US Attorney.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
