Newspaper owners indicted for promoting professional gambling

[clevfan]

JUNE 28, 2004
KOKOMO PERSPECTIVE NEWSPAPER
KOKOMO, INDIANA

Kokomo Perspective owners indicted

A Grand Jury, impaneled by Howard County Prosecutor James Fleming, indicted two of the owners of the Kokomo Perspective.

Publisher Don Wilson and Sales Manager Bill Eldridge were each charged with: two counts of Promoting Professional Gambling, D felonies; two counts of Professional Gambling, D felonies; one count of Conspiracy, D felonies; and one count of Corrupt Business Influence, C felony.

Eldridge also faces an additional count of Conspiracy, D felony.

“Obviously, we would like to comment,” said Wilson. “But, under advice of counsel, we can’t say anything at this time except that we intend to vigorously defend ourselves against these charges.”

Wilson retained James Bell and Kevin McGoff of the Indianapolis law firm of Kiefer and McGoff as counsel, while Eldridge retained C. Joseph Russell of the Indianapolis firm Bose, McKinney and Evans.

[clevfan]

2 Kokomo businessmen
indicted for gambling

Monday, June 28, 2004
The Kokomo Tribune


Kokomo businessmen Donald E. Wilson and William W. Eldridge were charged this morning with several counts involving illegal gambling activities.

A Howard County grand jury issued the indictments Friday. They were released this morning by Howard County Prosecutor Jim Fleming.

Wilson is charged with two counts each of professional gambling and promoting professional gambling and one count each of conspiracy and corrupt business influence.

Eldridge faces two counts each of professional gambling, promoting professional gambling and conspiracy, and one count of corrupt business influence.

The two are accused of helping with the preparation of racing forms, providing odds, taking bets and providing results of horse races at Church Hill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Hoosier Park in Anderson and Pimlico Track in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictments.

The incidents occurred on any of the following dates, but not limited to May 1, May 3, May 15, May 17 and June 7, according to the indictments.

[clevfan]

I am wondering if this indictment was in regards to information which they ran in their newspaper....if so then WOW!

[Holy Bull]

Anyone have any clue what "two counts of proffessional gambling" and "two counts of promoting professional gambling" means? Are these Indiana laws?

[alysheba88]

providing results of horse races? Whats next blowing up a building?

[Total Square]

The two are accused of helping with the preparation of racing forms, providing odds, taking bets and providing results of horse races at Church Hill Downs

key words: taking bets

[alysheba88]

I understand the taking bets part. Just seems funny to throw in providing results of horse races. Did not know this was a crime. Didnt know providing odds were either.

[alysheba88]

HB,

Here is something I came across

http://www.gambling-law-us.com/State-Laws/Indiana/

[Holy Bull]

Thanks aly, great link.

Fascists 1, First Amendment 0

[Total Square]

IC 35-45-5-4
Promoting professional gambling; acts constituting; boat manufacturers; public utilities
Sec. 4. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), a person who:
(1) knowingly or intentionally owns, manufactures, possesses, buys, sells, rents, leases, repairs, or transports a gambling device, or offers or solicits an interest in a gambling device;
(2) before a race, game, contest, or event on which gambling may be conducted, knowingly or intentionally transmits or receives gambling information by any means, or knowingly or intentionally installs or maintains equipment for the transmission or receipt of gambling information; o



rut roh

[Holy Bull]

From the sound of it, logging in to Majorwager and receiving gambling information is a class D felony in indiana.

[Total Square]

[Dewitt22]

HB,

I heard that. Slightly unnerving at a minimum.

D.

[blacksheep]

Whoa, Horse Racing!!! I always thought betting or promoting betting on horse racing was a legal endeavor since it's endorsed, allowed, and accepted by just about every state in the union. This shit's gotta stop!!!

Someone needs to put a stop to John Ashcroft and his fellow right wing Republican fascists before all rights in America are taken away and before we are forced to live in a police state, subjected to religious persecution. The best way to do this is to get rid of the majority of Republicans in office. It's time to vote these people out before it's too late. They obviously have a serious agenda they are trying to get through and this nonsense needs to stop immediately. I'm no strong supporter of Democrats, actually more of an independent by nature, however I have enough common sense to determine between the worst of two evils. The Republicans are obviously the worst option out there right now. Hopefully everyone finally wakes up to what is going on here!!!

[Total Square]

i put on my clev fan hat and made a couple of calls.

i just spoke with a reporter for one of the two newspapers located in town.

i was told that they guys were booking horse bets. it had nothing to do with the dissemenation of information.

i was told they should have an update on it later today posted on their website.

[Total Square]

this update from the kokomo tribune

According to the indictment, Wilson was at Hoosier Park where he could observe -- through simulcast -- horse races, odds, results, amounts of money being wagered on horse racing and horse entries. He transmitted that information to Eldridge, according to the court documents.

Eldridge was engaged in bookmaking at American Legion Post 6 on South LaFountain Street, taking bets on horse races at Churchill Downs and Pimlico for the Preakness, according to the indictment

full story:


Perspective’s Wilson, Eldridge are booked on gambling charges
By KATHERINE LEWIS
Tribune staff writer
Monday, June 28, 2004



Three days after a grand jury handed up indictments charging illegal gambling, Donald E. Wilson and William W. Eldridge turned themselves in to Howard County sheriff deputies at the courthouse.

"I'm Don Wilson, and I am here to turn myself in," Wilson said Monday afternoon.

Wilson and Eldridge presented deputies with identification. They were patted down, handcuffed and taken to the criminal justice center on West Markland Avenue, where each posted 10 percent of their bond and were released.

Wilson, publisher of the Kokomo Perspective, was indicted on one count of professional gambling, three counts of promoting professional gambling, one count of corrupt business influence and one count of conspiracy. His bond was set at $57,500.

Eldridge, the Perspective's sales manager, was indicted on two counts each of professional gambling, promoting professional gambling and conspiracy, and one count of corrupt business influence. His bond was set at $65,000.

The Perspective describes the men as two of the newspaper's owners.

Corrupt business influence is a class C felony carrying up to four years in jail. The other charges are all D felonies, with a maximum of 18 months in jail.

Both felonies carry a maximum of a $10,000 fine for each count.

The two are accused of helping with the preparation of racing forms, providing odds, taking bets and providing results of horse races at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Hoosier Park in Anderson and Pimlico Track in Baltimore, Md., according to the indictments.

The incidents occurred on any of the following dates, but are not limited to May 1, May 3, May 15, May 17 and June 7, according to the indictments.

County Prosecutor James Fleming said a third person was indicted, but he won't not unseal that indictment pending the individual's continued cooperation on the matter.

Sheriff Marty Talbert said Monday the Indiana State Police, which headed up the investigation, used undercover officers from outside the area to investigate the case.

According to the indictment, Wilson was at Hoosier Park where he could observe -- through simulcast -- horse races, odds, results, amounts of money being wagered on horse racing and horse entries. He transmitted that information to Eldridge, according to the court documents.

Eldridge was engaged in bookmaking at American Legion Post 6 on South LaFountain Street, taking bets on horse races at Churchill Downs and Pimlico for the Preakness, according to the indictment.

Fleming said no one at legion would face criminal charges.

"They have been cooperative in the investigation and, as far as we know, they did not share in any of the profits," he said.

A person who answered the phone at Post 6 Monday afternoon told the Tribune he did not know what the Tribune was talking about and hung up.

Wilson and Eldridge declined to comment to the Tribune, as did Eldridge's attorney, C. Joseph Russell of the Indianapolis firm of Bose, McKinney and Evans.

Superior Court 2 Judge Stephen Jessup, who presided over the grand jury, also declined to comment on the case.

The last grand jury to be called in Howard County resulted in the indictment of former Sheriff Jerry Marr in 2001 for using more than $1,500 in commissary funds to remodel his home.

Marr resigned as a result, pleading guilty to one count of official misconduct. He was sentenced to 75 days of in-home detention and ordered to pay restitution.

Grand jurors are chosen randomly from voter registration logs. The proceedings are not public.

[clevfan]

TS, good work on getting the updated story for us!

[The Actuary]

partypoker.net ads still running on CNBC FWIW.

[Total Square]

ta,
these guys were booking

if you watch the partypoker ads nowadays, you will see that they focus on 'learn how to play poker for free', as opposed to a gaming angle.