The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the sentencing of Gary Stephen Kaplan, the founder of BetOnSports, the online sports wagering business. Kaplan has been sentenced to fifty one months in prison on multiple charges. The charges are related to the illegal overseas operation of sports wagering.

Kaplan forfeited $43.8 million in as part of his plea agreement that he made on August 14th in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Kaplan pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute, conspiring to violate the Wire Wager Act and violating the Wire Wager Act.

Businesses are prohibited from running gambling operations over communications networks because of the Wire Wager Act. Kaplan was given his sentence this past Monday in St. Louis. "Kaplan was unique in the scope and scale of his illegal operation," acting U.S. Attorney Michael Reap of the Eastern District of Missouri said in a statement. "Despite his immense profits, he is living in federal custody. This case should serve as a warning to others who might choose to defy the laws of the United States on such a grand scale."








- 2009-11-04