Last week the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement Division was able to charge a Lakeland man who was being investigated for running an illegal sports gambling operation back in March of 2006. The department had been investigating the man for over two years and finally found enough information to bring charges.

Theodore John Larson, age 58, was charged with felony sports bookmaking after bets were made on a NCAA basketball tournament that Larson organized along with Kevin Ritzer. Mr. Ritzer has not been charged as of late but the two allegedly handled almost $160,000 in wagers during one week of the tournament back in March 2006.

675 bets or offers to bet were made between March 7th and March 14th 2006 which created the charges of a large sports betting operation, according to Special Agent William White. White was quoted as saying: “That’s definitely not small. Sports books can get that large. That was definitely a substantial amount.”

Larson and Ritzer were arrested at Ruby Begonia’s after a tip was made to police of a “Calcutta”, which is a form of wagering in which people bid on sports teams to win a tournament. Police raiding the location and arrested both men.

After the arrest investigators searched Larson’s home and vehicle and found sports wagering documentation, tip tickets and other illegal gambling items that went back many years. If Larson is convicted, he will face up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.



- 2008-12-03