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BetonSports Founder Pleads Guilty |
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009 |
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In a case that has dragged on for over 8 years, the founder of one of the United States’ largest sportsbooking groups, BetonSports, has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to violate gambling legislation. Gary Kaplan admitted in a St. Louis court at the weekend that he knew his activities were illegal. By 2004, BetonSports boasted a customer base of 1 million customers. Kaplan was arrested in 2007 and has been in custody since then. As part of the plea bargain, Kaplan agreed to forfeit $43.6 million, which has already been transferred from his Swiss bank account to the US court. He will be sentenced to between 41 and 51 months in prison. “Today's guilty plea should have a lasting effect because Kaplan was not only the founder of BetOnSports, he was also one of the pioneers of illegal online gambling,” said John V. Gillies, Special Agent for the FBI in St. Louis. “As we get closer to successfully ending this investigation, the FBI will continue to work toward catching the remaining two subjects. We will follow all leads, no matter how far, to bring to justice those involved in this scheme.”
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