[rookie]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...hFUmkzLc&pos=7

By Joe Whittington and Andrew M. Harris



Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- David Carruthers, the former Betonsports Plc executive who pleaded guilty in a U.S. government investigation that shut the online gambling company, was sentenced to 33 months by a federal judge.
U.S. District Judge Carol E. Jackson sentenced Carruthers at a hearing today in St. Louis. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy.
Carruthers was chief executive officer of the London-based Internet gambling business when he and 10 other people including founder Gary S. Kaplan were indicted by a grand jury for violating federal laws banning the placement of wagers by wire in 2006.
Bankrupt BetOnSports took in $1.25 billion in 2004, with 98 percent of that revenue coming from bets made through its Web site by U.S.-based clients, according to court papers.
Betonsports suspended trading of its shares on the London Stock Exchange on July 18, 2006, a day after the indictment was unsealed. The company filed for liquidation and, in May 2007, through its attorney also pleaded guilty to a racketeering- related charge.
Carruthers was arrested in July 2006 as he changed planes at a Dallas-area airport.
He first pleaded guilty in April and was to receive a sentence of no more than 33 months. He withdrew that plea and pleaded guilty again to the same charge in October under a revised agreement with prosecutors after Kaplan pleaded guilty to the same count.
Kaplan, who in August became the last of the individual defendants who fought the charges to admit guilt, was sentenced to 51 months in prison on Nov. 2. He also forfeited $43 million to the U.S.
On Dec. 1, Jackson fined the company $28.2 million for its infractions. The company is attempting to repay clients who are owed money, its lawyer told the judge.
“We won’t be able to pay the $28 million,” Jeffrey Demerath, the attorney, said in court that day. “We have an obligation under the laws of the United Kingdom to pay the creditors first.”
Two other defendants remain at large.
The case is U.S. v. Betonsports, 4:06-cr-00337, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis).
To contact the reporters on this story: Joe Whittington in St. Louis at joethewhitt@sbcglobal.net; Andrew M. Harris in Chicago at aharris16@bloomberg.net.

[pimike]

Its to bad they got so greedy. They were a solid book at one time.

I was treated to a VIP Party in Costa Rica and in LA.

[SBR_John]

Seems a little a fall guy for Kaplan getting 33 months when Gary only got 51. Gary has already served most of his I wonder if Carruthers will get any time for being on house arrest?

[katstale]

I know BOS ripped off alot of folks, but I have fond memories of them. They paid for my first cruise before they very politely asked me to leave. That was a full year before people started getting stiffed. Sometimes a divorce is a good thing!

[SBR_John]

Yea you got lucky to not have a balance in there katstale with your kind of action. You are a poster player for the kind of players they gave painful haircuts to.

[MBENZ]

BooFukkingHoo those thieving knobgobblers got off easy,I wanna puke everytime I see a thread about those bastards.

[rm18]

was lucky cashed out then lost a big WNBA bet before reupping right before they went down.

[aceking]

justice is served.

[HedgeHog]

I made some serious $$$ at BOS. I also left some $ on the table when they went down. Really miss this Book.

[JoshW]

Best I remember they cost me 7k. Serves as a warning how fast a book can go down with corrupt ownership and/or US government involvement.

[Jaug]

Land of the free, where gambling is prohibited except for when it benefits huge companies and casinos. I'm so glad that I was not born there.

[robertg]

Land of the free, where gambling is prohibited except for when it benefits huge companies and casinos. I'm so glad that I was not born there.

I still take the USA over anywhere else in the world! on a more serious note, i wonder if caruthers gets out of jail with a few million of players money to start over with?

[MBENZ]

I still take the USA over anywhere else in the world! on a more serious note, i wonder if caruthers gets out of jail with a few million of players money to start over with?

Caruthers no,Kaplan tribe yes.

[SBR_John]

I still take the USA over anywhere else in the world! on a more serious note, i wonder if caruthers gets out of jail with a few million of players money to start over with?

I dont think so. I think that poor sap is the biggest loser in this mess. BOS fired him right after he was picked up. He did not have keys to the kingdom any way. A guy name Archer was running the show for Gary. He was eating a great steak dinner in the Shangri La in Manila last time I ran into him. So those not arrested did something with the money. Probably split it up with G would be my guess.

[investor]

What a dummy.... He got caught switching flights @ the Dallas Airport? LoL.... i bet he's kicking himself in the a$$ for coming back into the states. had he stayed away, he'd be laughing....

[BET THE HOOK]

The US needs to just let this go and let us play on sports where we want and leave these CEO's alone.

[SBR_John]

He was a bit of a pawn but got a wise guy type sentence.