Man Allegedly Involved in Illegal Gambling Ring Arrested after 10 Years

In the United States, offering illegal gambling activities is a criminal offense that is punishable by imprisonment and in some cases fines. A new report released by WWLP reveals that a person, who was charged 13 years ago in Massachusetts for his alleged participation in an illegal gambling ring was arrested earlier this month. The man with initials R.S. of St. John’s, Antigua, was reportedly arrested on August 20, 2023, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The 73-year-old man was apprehended when returning from Antigua to the United States.

Back in August 2010, R.S. was charged with four crimes related to an illegal gambling operation. Charges against him included money laundering, traveling across states with the intention of racketeering, transferring betting information and running an illegal gambling operation.

The case against R.S. was one of the first cases for alleged breaches of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). What’s more, the case was the first of its nature encountered in Massachusetts at the time. Reportedly, R.S. was aided by three accomplices with initials T.L., D.E. and R.E., along with a network of gambling agents.

Back in December 2011, T.L. was sentenced for his role in the illegal gambling ring to four years in prison. He was also ordered to forfeit $24.6 million and undergo one year of supervised release. On the other hand, for his participation in the illegal gambling business, D.E. was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to forfeit $7.7 million. Upon his release, he has also gone through one year of supervised release.

An Elaborate Illegal Gambling Operation

The indictment against R.S. claims that he and his accomplices were operating an online gambling website that holds an Antigua license called Sports Offshore. Allegedly, that website operated within the US, targeting different states, including Florida and Massachusetts. As the website did not hold a license in the US, its offering was deemed illegal, making the proceeds obtained in the activity illegal as well.

Allegedly, besides the four men who were running the illegal gambling ring, there were between 30 and 50 gambling agents across the United States. Their participation in the illegal gambling operation involved collecting funds as well as other activities necessary for running the operation. The ill-gained funds would then be transferred outside of the US to Antigua. This was done in an effort to conceal Sports Offshore’s US financial transactions.

The illegal gambling business allegedly resulted in proceeds surpassing $22 million. From that total, it is believed that $10 million was laundered via fraudulent transactions and checks.