Adam Meyer is waiting to stand trial on many fees in a Wisconsin federal court, the former high-stakes sports betting handicapper initially claiming through their lawyer that he had been a government informant.
Adam Meyer proclaimed for years he had been ‘the recreations consultant to the stars,’ the Florida-based sports handicapper routinely appearing on television to flaunt his insider knowledge and unrivaled results.
His Real Money Sports website described Meyer as ‘the biggest star in Las Vegas’ whose ‘client list reads like the front web page of range.’
‘If there’s a result, Adam will show you how to make it into an income,’ their bio read.
Unfortunately if you took Meyer up on his solutions, the outcome changed into earnings for only Meyer himself.
In December of 2014, a Wisconsin jury that is grand Meyer on six charges including cable fraudulence, racketeering, and extortion relating to a wealthy Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, man who claimed to own been taken for $25 million.
Meyer’s Tainted Past
At the height of Meyer’s procedure, he had been reportedly billing well over $250,000 for a package of betting guidelines and suggestions of games where in actuality the fix was in. Meyer’s services and products would advise clients on how to bet and which teams to pick.
He stated to use an extensive research staff 130 strong and asserted his guidelines came with a 60 percent win percentage.
‘Meyer promoted his tout service through his website, by advertising, by appearing on television and radio programs, and by cold-calling potential customers from customer lists he obtained from other tout services,’ the usa Eastern District of Wisconsin Court stated in its indictment.
Gary Sadoff, owner of Badger Liquor in Wisconsin, the state’s largest wholesaler of alcoholic beverages, said Meyer began threatening him as he paid off his activities betting.
Meyer presumably created an alter ego called Kent Wong who had been a bookie after Meyer and Sadoff.
When Sadoff finally stop all ties, Meyer and a co-employee arrived in Wisconsin and furnished a firearm, Sadoff ponying up $9.8 million to keep Meyer away.
Sports Betting’s Donnie Brasco?
After the continuing state of Wisconsin indicted Meyer, their attorney at enough time claimed he was working as an undercover informant for government authorities. Using the ‘public authority defense’ by which a defendant claims their actions that are criminal the consequence of police direction, Meyer’s previous lawyer Joel Hirschhorn said his client’s cooperation with appropriate investigators began back in 2001.
‘Faced with an indictment that is possible; Meyer began a 13-year odyssey being a documented and valuable informant for federal and state law enforcement,’ Hirschhorn said in March.
Hirschhorn additionally claims within the documents released this week that Meyer’s work helped seize $750 million from offshore books and led towards the arrest of 30 individuals.
Meyer’s $1 million bail ended up being revoked in April following repeated drug test failures in a rehabilitation facility in his hometown in Florida. Because bail was revoked, Meyer was extradited to Wisconsin where he’s currently being held in the Dodge County Detention Facility.
For reasons unspecified, Hirschhorn isn’t any longer working for Meyer. The situation is slated to begin with in February, and it remains to be seen whether Meyer will carry on with their claims that his undercover work was so secretive federal prosecutors didn’t have access to such knowledge, or he’ll enter another plea.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch Indicts 16 More FIFA Officials
The investigation into FIFA corruption expanded this week after US Attorney General Loretta Lynch filed charges against 16 officials that are additional. (Image: Don Emmert/Getty)
United states of america Attorney General Loretta Lynch is into the midst of disrupting perhaps one of the biggest criminal syndicates in recent history as she leads the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation into FIFA, the;ration that is fédé de Football Association.
On Thursday, Lynch unsealed an indictment that is 92-count 16 defendants related to the continued FIFA corruption case.
That brings the number that is total of to 30 since the DOJ swarmed FIFA last May.
This week’s accused stem from CONCACAF, FIFA’s North and Central America arm, and CONMEBOL, the Southern America unit. The defendants are being charged with racketeering, wire fraudulence, and cash laundering conspiracies.
‘The Department of Justice is committed to closing the corruption that is rampant have alleged amidst the leadership of worldwide soccer, not only because associated with the scale of the schemes, or the brazenness and breadth of the operation required to sustain such corruption, but also because of the affront to worldwide maxims that this behavior represents,’ Lynch said. ‘The betrayal of trust established here is outrageous.’
$200 Million Exchanged
Lynch maintains that leaders among FIFA besought bribes in return for various legal rights including the hosting associated with the World Cup and qualifiers for soccer’s marquee competition held every four years.
According to DOJ estimations, $200 million was solicited over the last 24 years.
The prosecution indicts both CONCACAF and CONMEBOL sitting presidents along with several members who co-serve on FIFA’s executive committee.
Also within the indictment was Jeffrey Webb’s guilty plea, the former FIFA vice president and CONCACAF president admitting to racketeering, conspiracy, three counts of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering. Webb has decided to forfeit $6.7 million.
‘We are determined to put a stop to bribery and corruption in international soccer and also to make room for a era that is new of and reform,’ US Attorney Robert Capers associated with Eastern District of New York said. ‘ This indictment is the latest step in that effort, but our work isn’t done.’
Future of FIFA
The charges brought by the DOJ came at an opportune time as FIFA is assembled in Switzerland for 2 times of meetings in Zurich. The most important item of discussion is overhauling the corporation through extensive reforms.
As Lynch’s office brought new charges against FIFA associates, soccer’s governing body voted unanimously to implement a set of proposals to refurbish the company.
Included in the modifications is a four-year term restriction for the presidency, outgoing President Sepp Blatter has been holding the reigns since 1998.
Additional reforms embrace a separation between political and administration committees, variety, independent members, integrity checks, as well as an overall greater transparency.
‘These reforms are moving FIFA towards improved governance, greater transparency and more accountability,’ the FIFA Executive Committee said in a news release. ‘They mark a milestone on our course towards restoring FIFA’s credibility as a modern, trusted and professional sports organization.’
Restoring credibility will be described as a long and difficult road for FIFA with Lynch in charge of the DOJ. She shows no signs of slowing her thorough investigation into the handling of the entire world’s many popular sport.
‘The Department of Justice is devoted to ending the rampant corruption we have actually described amidst the leadership of international soccer,’ Lynch affirmed.
Mohegan Sun Blackjack Dealer Accused of Chip-Passing Scam
A Mohegan Sun blackjack dealer allegedly tried to reunite at their employers by going in cahoots with a player. Both have now been accused of conspiring to rob the casino. (Image: wzlx.cbslocal.com)
A disgruntled Mohegan Sun blackjack dealer stands accused of moving $78,390 in potato chips to a player-accomplice.
It’s alleged that Roy Mariano, 52, of the latest London, Connecticut, passed blackjack chips worth $100 each that had been hidden in stacks of lower denomination red chips to Marlene Rivera of Southbridge, Massachusetts during 16 various blackjack sessions in August of the 12 months. Both have been charged with first-degree larceny.
Mariano admitted to police that he had a grudge against his companies. The dealer, who’d worked at the casino since it first opened in 1996, was upset that management had paid off his role from full-time to part-time. He could be needed and handicapped the funds, he stated, as recorded in court documents.
Conflicting Reports
Mariano claims that he was approached in May or June by Rivera, who had told him she could help him out with money. He began giving her extra chips each time he paid her winnings, and she would control him his cut as he moved from the table towards the break space. He claimed he couldn’t remember how much cash he had received from Rivera.
The dealer’s lawyer entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of first-degree larceny for his client, which comes with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison despite the apparent confession.
Rivera, 36, a mom of seven, tells a story that is different.
She stated that Mariano approached her boyfriend, and that the two had concocted the scheme together. The boyfriend played several times, she claims, in which he and Mariano allegedly split the winnings 50-50. Her half the winnings, the woman added when she later began playing too, Mariano also gave.
Police said they suspected that Rivera, who has yet to enter a plea, was being deceptive during her interview.
Facebook Gloating
Rivera’s Facebook page records several winning visits to an unnamed casino in August, followed by a vacation to vegas in September. The August media that are social include messages like:
‘Great night at cino’
‘Casino night again$$$’
‘Whacha think Joe… a vehicle? Lol monneeyyy…cha-ching!!’
As the scheme eluded supervisors on duty, it was ultimately picked up by the eye-in-the-sky. The Mohegan Tribal Police began examining surveillance footage on September 1st at the request of Tribal Gaming Commissioner Robert Bjork.
As well as hiding $100 chips in stacks of five-dollar ones, in addition showed Mariano hiding one $100 chip beneath a card utilized to cut the deck before passing it to Rivera.
