Attorney Representing Whistleblower in Bookie Case to Appear on Vegashorsepools

Here is the latest crime news related to the world of gambling, crypto and the Mob.

Attorney Representing Whistleblower in Bookie Case to Appear on Vegashorsepools Tuesday (September 25, 2023)

The attorney whose client has sued an Alabama used car dealer from a prominent family along with another gentleman once shot multiple times after alleged breaking and entering a man's home will be appearing with @vegashorsepools Tuesday to discuss the matter.

The plaintiff in question Edward B. Short is described by attorney Joe Durham as a "whistleblower" taking advantage of a rarely applied Georgia law in order to recoup funds from the co-defendants. 

"I have been getting tons of questions about this case and I look forward to recording with @vegashorsepools tomorrow (Tuesday September 26, 2023) and I will try to address a lot of the questions I consistently get," Durham tweeted Monday night.

As much as folks are fed up with regulated sportsbooks limiting, booting and voiding bets, they are equally pissed off about bookies stiffing their clients.

Both co-defendants in the above referenced matter have been served, Durham confirmed.

The car dealer can be regularly seen on local cable commercials pushing sales of vehicles.

"We've got a needle in a haystack for all you mommas out there! Check out this 2021 Satin Steel Z71 Chevy Tahoe."

His co-defendant nearly lost his life about a decade ago after what was described as a botched robbery.  He is also a devout supporter of QAnon. 

Aria Hotel Manager Arrested for Creating $770K Worth of Fraudulent Hotel Reservation Refunds (September 13, 2023)

A hotel manager at the Aria has been arrested for creating $770,000 worth of fraudulent hotel reservation refunds and putting them all on his personal credit card.

And apparently this type of scheme can get one living like a billionaire it seems.

Brandon Rashaad Johnson, 38, used the stolen funds to live a lavish lifestyle which included shopping at Louis Vuitton and Versace, flying on private jets, doing spa visits, going to shows and even purchasing a home, according to his arrest report.

Johnson came under suspicion of a colleague once he began flaunting his newfound wealth.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was notified of the alleged theft on July 27 and began an investigation.

From 8 News:

An Aria co-worker told police, Johnson began giving him gifts and taking him on expensive dates and when he asked Johnson where he got the money, Johnson told him he was working as a private chef for high-end clients. That co-worker said he became suspicious and began looking into Johnson’s work transactions and saw the money was all going to the same credit card number so he notified management, the arrest report stated.

Iowa State OL Jake Remsburg Receives 6-Game Suspension amid Gambling Probe (September 2, 2023)

Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register broke the news Friday that Iowa State offensive lineman Jake Remsburg has become the latest player suspended for violating the NCAA gambling policy.  He is set to sit out six games.

"Iowa State administrators would not confirm the news, nor would they comment on any other player involved in the state's sports gambling probe of student-athletes at ISU and Iowa."

“Iowa State has received the eligibility rulings from the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) Committee and shared those with impacted student-athletes,” a statement from the school’s athletics media relations department stated. “As we have stated since the outset, we will not comment on any individual’s case, however we will continue to support and stand our student-athletes if they elect to appeal their SAR decision.”

Seven current or former Iowa State football players have been charged as part of the ongoing probe.

Police Net Backyard Volleyball Gambling Ring (August 31, 2023)

Oh the humanity.

Some poor sap was caught running a largescale illegal gambling ring centered around backyard volleyball matches at a Milford, MA home.

Luis Loja-Caguana is charged with keeper of a disorderly home, gaming or betting, and place for registering bets.  He allegedly would take bets during the matches. 

Police said Loja-Caguana paved over his entire backyard and turned it into two full-size volleyball courts.

According to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, police seized about $10,000 in cash during the arrests.

Zoila Castro is facing a charge of selling liquor as the police alleged he and Lja-Caguana set up a concession stand and sold liquor without a permit.  Something tells us this was the catalyst for the bust.

Iowa Men’s Basketball Student Manager Charged in Sports Gambling Probe (August 22, 2023)

Evan Schuster allegedly placed more than 2,000 bets, including nine on Iowa men’s basketball, totaling more than $15,800 on a FanDuel account under his father’s name.

Nine of the bets made under his father’s name were on Iowa men’s basketball games during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons while Schuster was working as a student manager. 

FanDuel prohibits individuals from betting under a third party or allowing others to access their account.

The bets were “routinely and consistently placed from” Schuster’s personal iPhone, according to the complaint.

True Crime: How Gambling Turned a Dentist Into a First-Degree Murderer (August 22, 2023)

In a shocking turn of events, Dr. James Craig, a dentist based in Colorado, has been charged with the first-degree murder of his wife, Angela Craig. The 45-year-old dentist allegedly used a lethal Potassium Cyanide cocktail to end her life. 

Authorities became suspicious after Angela Craig had taken out three life insurance policies only a few months before her death.

The 43-year-old Craig died March 18 after being taken off life support during her third hospital visit.

Arapahoe County coroner Kelly Lear testified that Angela died from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline poisoning, a substance found in over-the-counter eye drops.

From Horror Fuel:

Dr. James Craig’s life turned darker due to his gambling addiction. Media reports suggest that his gambling habits were out of control, contributing to his massive debts. He had become a degenerate gambler, risking significant money on casino floors. This addiction was a major factor in his financial stability and personal life deterioration.

Craig appeared in court July 11 for a preliminary hearing, and the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced he is charged with first-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He’s currently being held on a $10 million cash bond.

Four More Iowa State Players Charged as Part of Sports Betting Investigation (August 10, 2023)

Iowa State players Jirehl L. Brock, Isaiah M. Lee, Deshawn Lemont Hanika, and Jacob Remsburg have been charged with tampering records as part of a sports gambling investigation that has rocked the state of Iowa.

Brock is accused of placing 1,327 sports wagers, with 13 on Iowa State basketball events and four on Iowa State football games. Brock allegedly participated in two of those games. In total, he's alleged to have waged over $12,050.

Lee allegedly placed 115 sports wagers totaling over $885, 21 of which he allegedly participated in.

Hanika is accused of placing 288 sports wagers totaling over $1,262. 70 of the wagers are alleged to have been bet on Iowa State basketball events while he was a football player.

Remsburg is accused of placing 273 wagers totaling over $1,108.  Six of the bets were allegedly placed on games he took part in.

All are accused of manipulating transactions to create the appearance their bets were placed by other people.

Tampering with records is an aggravated misdemeanor, carrying potential penalties ranging from a deferred judgment to a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison and a fine ranging from $855 to $8,540.

NYC Mayor Accused of Tipping Off Building Commissioner About Gambling Probe (July 31, 2023)

New York City Major, Eric Adams, is facing scrutiny for allegedly tipping off his own building commissioner about a gambling probe rom the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Adams appointed Republican Eric Ulrich, a former city council member representing Queens who supported Adams’ mayoral campaign, to the position of buildings commissioner in May 2022.

Ulrich resigned back in November of last year, seven months after his appointment.

The DA alleges Ulrich has ties to an underground gambling ring.

For his part, Adams has denied even knowing about the investigation.

Adams denied the accusation at a Monday press conference.

“I was reading that article, and I felt like it was a reboot of ‘Goodfellas,’ ” Adams said, referring to the 1990 hit mob flick. “I had no knowledge of his investigation.

“Why would it make sense to appoint someone a commissioner if you know they’re under criminal investigation?” said Adams,

Ulrich is widely expected to be indicted. 

In addition to an alcohol problem, Ulrich is said to be a degenerate gambler who won the lottery over three consecutive years.

$160M in Crypto Funds Allegedly Tied to Gambling Seized (July 19, 2023)

Through a collaboration with a cryptocurrency issuer and via a court order, Chinese police seized and confiscated $160 million in crypto tied to a gambling platform.  This is reportedly the first time the government has taken such an action.

Chinese authorities tracked the fund flows, ultimately freezing multiple crypto accounts involved in the transactions. In addition to confiscating funds, the police detained three individuals after locating them overseas.

It also appears that the Chinese government likely collaborated with a stablecoin issuer, such as Tether or Circle, rather than directly seizing funds through a police raid, this according to the Chinese media outlet Toutiao.

The report also said the court order to freeze the funds was issued by the People’s Court of Shayang County in October 2022. The three suspects were detained in December 2022.

Suspect in Vegas Strip Resort Standoff a Fugitive in Colorado Kidnapping Case (July 12, 2023)

Matthew John Ermond Mannix, 35, was arrested after he allegedly held a woman hostage for more than five hours Tuesday and claiming that he had a gun at a Las Vegas Strip hotel.

During the standoff, Mannix threw furniture out of a broken 21st-floor window at Caesars Palace.  Items ranging from a coffee maker to a desk fell into the hotel swimming pool area.

Now we are learning that the suspect is a fugitive in a 2022 Colorado kidnapping case.  He has a criminal conviction for property damage in 2012 in Colorado as well.  Numerous individuals have protective orders against Mannix.

A judge set bail at $750,000 for Mannix although Prosecutor John Jones requested bail be set at $2 million.

A conviction in Nevada on the kidnapping charge carries the possibility of life in prison. The judge set his next court date on Monday.

Sprawling Rochester Bookmaking Case Yields Massive Amounts of Evidence (July 11, 2023)

The defense has requested "mega-case" status in a Rochester bookmaker case involving a bookie business as well as troves of wiretap information.  "Mega case" status allows for significantly larger budgets when trying a case.

Defense lawyer Joseph Damelio, who represents Louis Ferrari II, said in federal court Monday that the evidence shared so far by prosecutors totals almost five terabytes.

Federal authorities in February charged seven Rochester, New York area men with maintaining a sports betting and illegal poker operation in an office suite in the city of Rochester. In late June a federal grand jury indicted the seven on gambling-connected charges.  A state trooper is credited with infiltrating the ring.

Ferrari allegedly had 16 sub-agents who managed 221 individual bettor accounts.  He is said to have generated over $1.2 million in winnings while another defendant, Anthony Amato, allegedly generated nearly $9 million in winnings.

Joseph Lombardo, Jeffrey Boscarino, and James Civiletti are charged with transmission of wagering information and conspiracy, as is Mr. Amato.

Tomasso Sessa is charged with operation of an illegal gambling business and conspiracy.  Dominic Sprague is charged with conspiracy, transmission of wagering information, and operation of an illegal gambling business.

Ferrari is charged with conspiracy, transmission of wagering information, operation of an illegal gambling business, and money laundering.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Thomas Fattorusso, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, and Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office.

Las Vegas Police Officer Accused of Stealing Nearly $165k in Trio of Casino Heists to Face Jury (July 10, 2023)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Jury selection is under way in the trial for a Las Vegas police officer accused of stealing nearly $165,000 in a series of casino heists.

Prosecutors have painted Caleb Rogers as a gambling addict who grew increasingly desperate under a crush of debt. They claim Rogers, 35, carried out three robberies over four months at casinos off the Las Vegas Strip. In at least one of the heists, he was armed with a weapon issued by the police department, prosecutors said.

Rogers’ attorney, Richard Pocker, said the government’s evidence allegedly tying Rogers to two of the robberies is weak. He accused the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detectives of pressuring two people, including Rogers’ brother, into identifying him as the suspect in the robberies to close out the cases.

Opening statements could begin later Monday in a trial expected to last through the end of the week.

Rogers made off with more than $85,000 in the first two robberies between November 2021 and January 2022 at casinos off the Las Vegas Strip while his police colleagues spent months trying to catch the thief, investigators and prosecutors said.

- RIO YAMAT, Associated Press

Three Charged With Attempted Murder in MGM Grand Casino Stabbing (July 7, 2023)

Nicholas Laws, 29, Faith Bennett, 19, and Monica Juarez, 27, all of California, were arrested Monday by Las Vegas Police for conspiring to commit murder after a hotel guest was found stabbed at the MGM Grand.

The man in his 50s who was stabbed told police he met Bennett early that morning in the casino and agreed to pay her $300 for sex, according to the arrest report.

The man says after arriving at his 7th floor room he began to touch her and she got angry.

The unidentified victim told police that he did not remember if Laws or Bennett stabbed him before he ran to the elevator and pressed several buttons.

Police found the man on the fifth floor with stab wounds to the left side of his chest.

Police reviewed hotel surveillance in making the arrests.

Man Charged With Riding Motorcycle Through Vegas Casino (July 6, 2023)

A motorcyclist is facing numerous charges after doing wheelies along Las Vegas Boulevard and riding through a casino, and on stairs and escalators.

Las Vegas Metropolitan police posted the arrest on one of the department’s social media accounts. It said R.A.I.D. officers took the man they referred to as the “reckless rider” into custody.

The rider is yet to be identified.  He was wearing a shirt that read “Till the (expletive) wheels fall off.”

“The rider thought he would never get caught,” the police post stated.

He is facing the following charges:

3 felony counts of driver disobeying police officer, endangering person or property

4 gross misdemeanor counts of disregard for the safety of person or property

4 misdemeanor counts of reckless driving

1 felony count of assault with a deadly weapon

1 felony count of child abuse and/or neglect

1 felony count of coercion with force or threat of force

Binance Exec Departs Amidst Probes, Exchange Plunging Into Crisis (July 6, 2023)

Patrick Hillmann, chief strategy officer at the company since late 2021, is the latest to be leaving the troubled crypto exchange.

Steven Stradbrooke of CoinGeek has referred to the Securities and Exchange Commission probe of Binance as a "hostage negotiation" while reports have emerged that executives are not happy with the way in which CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao is responding to a probe by the SEC.

The cryptocurrency exchange is accused of mishandling customer funds, misleading investors and regulators, and breaking securities rules. 

Earlier in the week, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission conducted searches at several Binance Australia locations as part of an investigation into its now-defunct local derivatives business, according to Bloomberg News.

Genovese Crime Family Mobster Thomas Poli Sentenced for Racketeering, Threatening Deadbeats (July 5, 2023)

Reputed Genovese associate Thomas Poli has been ordered to serve a mere 22 months in prison for racketeering and must also pay a fine of $200,000.  Under federal guidelines, the minimal sentence is typically 33 months, thus Poli got off quite easy.

Poli plead guilty in September to threatening people who didn't pay their gambling debts. 

“I just yelled at people and threatened them,” the wiseguy told the judge back in September.

He admitted to being part of a Bronx-based bookkeeping operation that included five other Genovese mobsters, his son being among them.

- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com