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Two hundred words, just two hundred words. The Associated Press published an article today which left me dying for more information and didn't actually say much of anything, but two hundred words isn't enough to say much of anything anyhow. Wondering what I'm babbling about? Read the following article in its entirety: "NOV. 15 9:16 A.M. ET Criminal charges have been brought against more than two dozen individuals and corporations in four states in connection with a billion-dollar-a-year gambling Web site, authorities said Wednesday. One of the corporations is an offshore Internet company with an American counterpart, said Kevin Ryan, a spokesman for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. Ryan said the case is "one of the first times that a Web designer corporation and the companies that maintain the Web sites have been charged." He said the arrests by the DA's office and the New York Police Department represent the first time that Internet gambling charges have been brought since President Bush signed into law last month the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Authorities declined to name any of those charged. Ryan said arrests had been made in four states, and "we have initiated a $500 million asset forfeiture case," one of the largest in state history. The charges come after a two-year international investigation that focused on Internet gambling. Brown and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly scheduled a midday news conference, at which seized cash and assets -- including artwork, jewelry, gold coins and sports memorabilia -- were to be displayed." There are a few things which have caught my eye. One is 'an offshore Internet company with an American counterpart'. It's illegal for any online gambling casino, sports book, or poker room to have so much as an office located in the United States. However, it is legal for the game designer to be located in the United States as long as the product they sell isn't located there. Which brings me to the comment from the quote Ryan said 'Web designer corporation and the companies that maintain the Web sites'. What billion dollar a year corporation has a design center in the US and does internet gambling? I've checked Playtech, Wagerlogic, Microgaming, Real Time, and Boss – none of them have offices in the US according to their websites. Several are based in Canada, one in the Isle of Man (Britain) and others aren't listed on their website but I know where they are anyhow and it's not the US. The article is actually rather cruel. It gives you enough information to leave you salivating for more and then abandons you high and dry. Not nice at all. I went to the website for Queens District Attorney Richard Brown and checked out his press releases for November 2006. No information on this case whatsoever. There were, however, some incredibly disturbing cases mentioned on their press release page. I'm not sure that Queens County is a nice place to live. But I digress, why announce that criminal charges have been brought up against a company and not mention the name of the actual company? What is the point of that? I had to know more. I called the Queens County District Attorneys office. Marris Cambell answered the phone for the DA's department and very sweetly told me that there will be a press release in 15 minutes with more information on their website. Direct from the District Attorneys website: Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined by Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, today announced the indictment of twenty-seven individuals and three corporations on charges of unlawfully operating a highly sophisticated online gambling operation in Queens County and elsewhere in the world that booked more than $3.3 billion in wagers over a 28-month period on a wide variety of sporting events – ranging from horse-racing, football, baseball, basketball and hockey to NASCAR, PGA golf and professional tennis, among others. District Attorney Brown said, “Internet gambling is a multi-billion dollar worldwide industry that for too long has operated with impunity. Today’s case represents the first time Internet gambling charges have been brought against anyone in this country since President Bush signed into law last month the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which prohibits American online gamblers from using electronic funds transfers, credit cards and checks in placing bets with gambling sites worldwide. The case also marks the first time that a web designer and an offshore based Internet company have been charged with directly participating in a criminal enterprise. In addition, the $500 million asset forfeiture case commenced against the defendants is among the largest such cases ever filed.” The District Attorney continued, “The defendants are accused of running a tightly knit and an incredibly lucrative – and illegal – global gambling operation. It is alleged that they were as savvy and adept in the use of computer technology as they were proficient in the art of secreting and laundering untold millions of dollars in unlawfully earned proceeds through casinos, shell corporations and bank accounts in a variety of locations around the globe, including Central America, the Caribbean, Switzerland, Hong Kong and elsewhere. So massive was the enterprise that only with the assistance of federal law enforcement, police authorities in sister states and other nations have we been able to bring these defendants to justice.” Commissioner Kelly said, “New York City detectives and Queens prosecutors, with extraordinary assistance from the FBI, have smashed the largest illegal gambling operation we have ever encountered.” A 33-count Enterprise Corruption indictment filed in Queens County Supreme Court charges that the gambling ring promoted illegal sports betting in Queens County and elsewhere and that the defendants were involved with gambling wire rooms in both Miami and St. Maarten. Twenty of the defendants are also being sued civilly and have been named as respondents in a historic $500 million civil forfeiture action filed in Queens Supreme Court by the District Attorney’s Special Proceedings Bureau which alleges that they engaged in a criminal enterprise that promoted illegal gambling activities and generated illegal wages. District Attorney Brown said that detectives assigned to the New York City Police Department’s Organized Crime Control Bureau, as well as federal agents throughout the country arrested the defendants over the past few days on charges of Enterprise Corruption – a violation of New York State’s Organized Crime Control Act – as well as Money Laundering, Promoting Gambling, Possession of Gambling Records and Conspiracy. District Attorney Brown said that the investigation leading to today’s indictment began in July 2004 when NYPD officers assigned to the Queens Major Case Squad and the Queens Narcotics District developed information about an illegal betting ring and began a joint investigation with the District Attorney’s Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau. The investigation included physical surveillance, intelligence information and court-authorized electronic eavesdropping on nearly thirty different telephones that intercepted tens of thousands of conversations." There's more, but you have to go to the next article to read it… Posted on: November 15, 2006
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