(WWLP) – An Antiguan man has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a large-scale illegal gambling operation that utilized an Antiguan Internet site while operating in the continental United States.
Over $22 million was collected and laundered through an illegal gambling operation by defendant and co-conspirators.
It was the first prosecution in Massachusetts under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).
In 2006, the UIGEA statute was enacted in order to prevent U.S. citizens from using the U.S. banking system to pay Internet gambling debts.
Sullivan and his co-defendants were originally charged with over 75 counts of engaging in U.S. banking transactions involving U.S.-based gamblers to repay gambling debts owed to Sports Offshore, an online gambling site licensed in Antigua which was actually operating in the United States.
Sports Offshore was operated by Sullivan and his three co-conspirators – Todd Lyons, Robert Eremian and Daniel Eremian.
For the purpose of serving United States customers, Sports Offshore used a website and a toll-free number registered in Antigua.
Additionally, the ring employed approximately 50 agents in the United States who solicited hundreds of customers and collected gambling debts, forwarding those proceeds to Antigua.
To conceal the conspiracy, Sullivan and his co-conspirators created numerous fictitious entities with no legitimate business purpose to launder the proceeds of their illegal gambling business, in order to avoid detection of U.S.-based financial transactions involving Sports Offshore by authorities.
Sullivan was responsible for the daily operations of Sports Offshore at its gambling office located in St. John’s, Antigua.
In this capacity, Sullivan oversaw employees who accepted telephone and Internet wagers from customers in the United States.
Sullivan was responsible for directing collection activities regarding customers and agents in the United States who owed money to Sports Offshore.
Sullivan also served as an agent for Sports Offshore and managed a group of Massachusetts customers who gambled with Sports Offshore, earning commissions on their gambling losses.
Additionally, Sullivan used Massachusetts residents to collect money from local customers, which he then sent directly to Antigua.
Through the illegal gambling operation, Sullivan and his co-conspirators collected over $22 million for Sports Offshore and laundered more than $10 million in checks and wire transfers.
Lyons and Eremian were convicted of conspiracy in December 2011 following a five-week jury trial. Lyons was sentenced to four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $24.6 million in assets.
Eremian was sentenced to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and forfeited $7.7 million.
A conviction for operating an illegal gambling business may result in a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Transmission of wagering information is punishable by up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000.
A federal district court judge imposes a sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
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The US did everything in their power to sink the once thriving gaming industry in Antigua and they have made fugitives of many of their citizens who ran and operated lucrative gaming companies from Antigua. Our best employment days were those days when gaming was KING in Antigua. Social Security, Medical Benefits, Board of Education saw some numbers in terms of contribution and revenue that is unmatched to this very day. Even telecommunications saw their biggest revenue earnings in those days. People with apartments and and business complexes for rent made money like rain too.
Some US born operators resort to suicide rather than going back to the US to face the long arm of the US law. Others who have acquired Antiguan and Barbudan citizenship just ride it out here as they cannot go back to the US for fear of prosecution. The bold ones like Richard take a trip and get trapped in Uncle Sam’s web.
When the US is unable to gain from your earnings or creative ideas, you are financially ostracized punishable by imprisonment and the forfeiture of your tangible assets.
In all the noises of the operation, young Antiguans and Barbudans were able to gain employment in good faith. We welcome them to our shores as it is not illegal in our country. The IS cannot touch us in any way. We’re still awaiting our US payment from the victorious judgment of the WTO.
The evil American empire is now trying to convince us that Russia is the bad guy, when all they want to do is control Russian with their one world order. It is a miracle they have not sanctioned us yet for not implementing income tax.
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