Man Charged With Running Online Sportsbook, Prostitution Ring
MIAMI — A West Palm Beach man has pleaded guilty to operating an illegal sports gambling business, conspiring to commit money laundering, using a facility of interstate commerce to carry on prostitution activities, and tax evasion. As part of his guilty plea, Dion De Cesare, 53, has agreed to forfeit to the United States two commercial properties, five condos, six vehicles, a Rolex watch, and approximately $93,000 in criminal proceeds.
During a hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart, De Cesare admitted that from around April 2008 to November 2022, he owned two social clubs: Whispers All Girls Staff and NXT. During various times, the businesses provided an array of prostitution services regularly to its customers. De Cesare collected the proceeds from those businesses and laundered them through third party bank accounts and the payment of mortgages and expenses owed on several of his properties in West Palm Beach.
De Cesare also admitted that from about May 20, 2015 to October 2022, De Cesare also operated an online sports gambling business through a website whose server was located in Costa Rica. De Cesare laundered the gambling proceeds by having the gamblers send their debt payments to third party individuals and entities for De Cesare’s benefit.
Finally, De Cesare admitted that from 2011 to 2017, he owned Renegades, a restaurant and nightclub in West Palm Beach. From various times between 2011 and 2013, and from 2015 to 2016, De Cesare failed to pay personal and payroll taxes. De Cesare has agreed to pay $1,177,438.65 in restitution to the IRS.
De Cesare is scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg later this year. He faces 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge, and five years on the gambling, prostitution, and tax charges. In total, De Cesare is facing a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison, 12 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine – all in addition to restitution.
U.S Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO); and Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI West Palm Beach Office, PBSO, and IRS-CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Dispoto and Trial Attorney Francesca Bartolomey of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Laserna and William T. Zloch are handling asset forfeiture.
