Not Showing up for court part of BetonSports legal stradegy..
ST. LOUIS (Reuters) -- Several people indicted in the U.S. crackdown on Bet on Sports Plc pleaded innocent to racketeering and other charges Monday, while a judge extended to Aug. 14 her order barring the online bookmaker from taking U.S. bets.
Prosecutors had suggested extending the ban while they resolve questions about whether Bet on Sports was served with the charges legally at its offices in Britain and Costa Rica.
A defendant in U.S. criminal proceedings - whether a company or an individual - must be contacted directly by the complaining party. Prosecutors told U.S. District Court Judge Carol Jackson that Bet on Sports was served legally.
The company, three related Florida firms and 11 people were named in a 22-count indictment unsealed in St. Louis this month charging them with racketeering, fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy. Seven of the individuals pleaded innocent on Monday. All had been free on bond.
David Carruthers, the fired CEO of Bet on Sports who was arrested by U.S. authorities while passing through a Texas airport earlier this month, was to appear in court later on Monday.
The company once again did not send a lawyer to the court hearings in St. Louis, triggering questions about whether it would seek to defend itself or instead take a position that U.S.-ordered sanctions against it were unenforceable. So far, the company has complied with the U.S. judge's order not to take wagers from U.S. bettors.
The charges allege the company failed to pay U.S. excise taxes on more than $3.3 billion in wagers taken from U.S. bettors. The government said it seeks forfeiture of $4.5 billion, removal of U.S. access to Bet on Sports' Web sites, and the return of money held for U.S. account holders.
Prosecutors told Judge Jackson that a U.S. lawyer had advised Bet on Sports about whether to send a representative to court, but that the company had decided not to send a lawyer.
"By not coming to court, you can make the assumption that since we weren't served, we can carry on our business in a normal capacity," said Kevin Smith, a Bet on Sports spokesman, after the hearing.
Prosecutors had sought to make the ban on U.S. bets permanent, pending a trial.
Entering the not guilty pleas in another courtroom in St. Louis before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Ann Medler were Neil Kaplan, Lori Kaplan-Multz, Tim Brown, William H. Lenis, William L. Lenis, Manny Lenis and Monica Lenis.
The Kaplans are related to Bet on Sports' founder, Gary Kaplan, the subject of a U.S. arrest warrant, while Brown once held a low-level position. The Lenis family members held positions with Florida firms involved in the online betting operation.
An attorney for one of the Florida firms, DME Global Marketing & Fulfillment Inc., entered a not guilty plea, while two other companies did not enter pleas.
CNN Money.com
ST. LOUIS (Reuters) -- Several people indicted in the U.S. crackdown on Bet on Sports Plc pleaded innocent to racketeering and other charges Monday, while a judge extended to Aug. 14 her order barring the online bookmaker from taking U.S. bets.
Prosecutors had suggested extending the ban while they resolve questions about whether Bet on Sports was served with the charges legally at its offices in Britain and Costa Rica.
A defendant in U.S. criminal proceedings - whether a company or an individual - must be contacted directly by the complaining party. Prosecutors told U.S. District Court Judge Carol Jackson that Bet on Sports was served legally.
The company, three related Florida firms and 11 people were named in a 22-count indictment unsealed in St. Louis this month charging them with racketeering, fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy. Seven of the individuals pleaded innocent on Monday. All had been free on bond.
David Carruthers, the fired CEO of Bet on Sports who was arrested by U.S. authorities while passing through a Texas airport earlier this month, was to appear in court later on Monday.
The company once again did not send a lawyer to the court hearings in St. Louis, triggering questions about whether it would seek to defend itself or instead take a position that U.S.-ordered sanctions against it were unenforceable. So far, the company has complied with the U.S. judge's order not to take wagers from U.S. bettors.
The charges allege the company failed to pay U.S. excise taxes on more than $3.3 billion in wagers taken from U.S. bettors. The government said it seeks forfeiture of $4.5 billion, removal of U.S. access to Bet on Sports' Web sites, and the return of money held for U.S. account holders.
Prosecutors told Judge Jackson that a U.S. lawyer had advised Bet on Sports about whether to send a representative to court, but that the company had decided not to send a lawyer.
"By not coming to court, you can make the assumption that since we weren't served, we can carry on our business in a normal capacity," said Kevin Smith, a Bet on Sports spokesman, after the hearing.
Prosecutors had sought to make the ban on U.S. bets permanent, pending a trial.
Entering the not guilty pleas in another courtroom in St. Louis before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Ann Medler were Neil Kaplan, Lori Kaplan-Multz, Tim Brown, William H. Lenis, William L. Lenis, Manny Lenis and Monica Lenis.
The Kaplans are related to Bet on Sports' founder, Gary Kaplan, the subject of a U.S. arrest warrant, while Brown once held a low-level position. The Lenis family members held positions with Florida firms involved in the online betting operation.
An attorney for one of the Florida firms, DME Global Marketing & Fulfillment Inc., entered a not guilty plea, while two other companies did not enter pleas.
CNN Money.com
<TABLE class=tborder id=post3062528 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=alt2 width=175>Jay C<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_3062528", true); </SCRIPT>
RX Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 841
</TD><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_3062528><!-- icon and title -->
<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by wilheim
"By not coming to court, you can make the assumption that since we weren't served, we can carry on our business in a normal capacity," said Kevin Smith, a Bet on Sports spokesman, after the hearing.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
So why did you close in the first place?
<!-- / message --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2>
</TD><TD class=alt1 align=right><!-- controls --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
To make bail.
RX Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 841
</TD><TD class=alt1 id=td_post_3062528><!-- icon and title -->
<HR style="COLOR: #fdde82" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by wilheim
"By not coming to court, you can make the assumption that since we weren't served, we can carry on our business in a normal capacity," said Kevin Smith, a Bet on Sports spokesman, after the hearing.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
So why did you close in the first place?
<!-- / message --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=alt2>
</TD><TD class=alt1 align=right><!-- controls --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>To make bail.
