FISHHEAD,
Please note the paragraph in the first story that refers to what Johnny D. was talkin' bout:
"The businesses provided betting advice for gamblers and referred them to offshore betting parlors, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the businesses would receive kickbacks from the parlors."
Federal officials arrest at least 12 accused in gambling scam
an Associated Press report 4/09/04
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - Federal authorities said they have busted a betting ring that scammed millions of dollars from gamblers across the country.
At least a dozen men were arrested Thursday and face federal charges of conspiracy to transmit wagering information by interstate and foreign wire and conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling enterprise.
If convicted, they face up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Authorities said they ran the scam under three different businesses in the Fort Myers area, Player's Edge Inc., National Sports Consultants Inc. and Nationwide Sports Inc.
The businesses provided betting advice for gamblers and referred them to offshore betting parlors, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the businesses would receive kickbacks from the parlors.
Among those arrested were: John R. Rodney Jr., who ran Player's Edge from 1993 to 2003; Robert Robitzek and Joseph DiLorenzo, who ran National Sports Consultants; and Nicholas DelNegro, who ran Nationwide Sports.
California attorney Ron Blumberg said many of the victims he has spoken with claim they were offered "insider" or "special" information on sports games. Blumberg said promises were made guaranteeing results, but patrons lost money while betting on games and paying for the betting advice.
Blumberg has set up a Web site to contact victims. He said 18 people have come forward claiming losses ranging from a few hundred dollars to "in excess of six figures."
Blumberg said he is collecting victims' names and information for a possible class-action civil suit against National Sports Consultants.
Here's another story that involved the National Sports Consultants from four months prior to the arrests:
Man settles with sports handicappers
Player says he lost nearly $2.3 million in dealings
By MIKE HOYEM
Published by news-press.com on December 27, 2003
A California man has settled a lawsuit he filed against a Fort Myers-based sports handicapping business he says scammed him out of more than $2 million.
But Timothy Edwin Bronkhurst, 49, of Carlsbad said Friday the settlement he agreed to about 10 days ago doesn't compensate him for anywhere near the $2.3 million he lost in his dealings with Player's Edge Inc. and National Sports Consultants Inc.
"I lost millions with these guys," Bronkhurst said. "Thank God I'm almost 50 years old and had a lot of money still. I'm glad we collected what we did."
According to the suit, which was filed Nov. 25 in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers, Bronkhurst got involved with a pair of companies that advertised nationally they could guarantee big profits for gamblers because they had "inside information" on sporting events.
The suit claimed the companies actually are "scamdicappers" instead of handicappers and use high-pressure sales techniques to squeeze money out of those who call their toll-free phone numbers.
The suit said Player's Edge operated from about December 1994 until May 2003, when it was sold to National Sports Consultants.
Both businesses, according to the suit, operated in essentially the same manner by luring gamblers with national radio advertisements that promise earnings so quickly that the money spent is more of an investment than a gamble.
"This is about getting inside information,? the ads say. "We have contacts everywhere."
According to the suit, the companies make their money by charging "package fees" for inside information and allegedly by getting kickbacks from the offshore sports bookies that take the bets. The suit said Player's Edge was run by John J. Rodney Jr., who used the names "Brian Edwards" and "Dan "The Man" Wilson" in radio ads.
Rodney, the suit alleged, sold his interest in Player's Edge in May to National Sports Consultants' owner Robert Robitzek, who calls himself "Mike Gibson" in radio spots.
Also named as defendants were a dozen other people who own at least 11 other corporations allegedly tied to the operation.
According to state Division of Corporations records, Player's Edge and National Sports Consultants list their addresses as a pair of strip malls in south Fort Myers: the Island Park Shopping Center at 16520 S. Tamiami Trail and the Summerlin Crossings shopping center at 15880 Summerlin Road.
The News-Press tried contacting National Sports Consultants on Friday by calling the company's 1-800 number.
At first, a man who said he was Mike Gibson answered and said he would give no details on the settlement.
"Why should I?" he asked.
A subsequent call was answered by a man who said his name was Jimmy Rogers.
'We have nothing to say about that," he said of the settlement. "No comment."
The suit claimed the companies have had more than 7,000 "customers/victims" since 2000 who initially are given free tips.
The handicappers, according to the suit, don't have any inside track on betting and instead "simply take their best guesses" based on public information.
According to the suit, Bronkhurst sold a business in 1998 and was looking for ways to invest his money when the stock market took a downturn.
After hearing the radio ads and visiting the Player's Edge Web site, Bronkhurst was impressed and decided to invest.
Bronkhurst started with $100,000, the suit said, and soon was depositing $55,000 to $900,000 at a time into the Player's Edge bank account.
The wagers listed in the suit said Bronkhurst placed 76 bets from Feb. 26 to May 17 and lost 56 times.
Bronkhurst said the vast majority of the money he lost was for inside information as opposed to actual bets.
"They really nailed me to the wall, these guys," Bronkhurst said.
"It's a lesson I'll take with me to the grave."
________________________________________________________________________ We have heard the National Sports Consultants radio show many times on Saturday mornings. They are somewhat convincing. They promise to make you $35,000 in one week! They talk down to their listeners basically saying you are an idiot not to "invest" your money with them. Like most sports services, they only talk about their victories, never their losses. ________________________________________________________________________
from:
http://www.vegassportsauthority.com/scam_handicappers
