Sports bar employee may reach plea deal in gambling probe

[clevfan]

Sports bar employee may reach plea deal in gambling probe

By Dave Janoski
CitizensVoice.com
Published: March 9, 2010

An employee of Patte's Sports Bar, a popular Wilkes-Barre bar/restaurant at the heart of a federal gambling probe, is negotiating a possible plea agreement with prosecutors, according to court documents filed Monday.

Mark G. Fino, 52, faces federal charges of using wire communications to transmit wagering information along with bar owner Patrick Patte Jr., 71, and another man.

In a motion filed Monday in U.S. District Court, Fino's federal public defender asked for a 30-day delay in his preliminary hearing, originally scheduled for Thursday, to allow plea negotiations to proceed. U.S. Magistrate Malachy Mannion granted the request, rescheduling the hearing for April 9.

Public Defender Ingrid Cronin did not respond to a phone message Monday. The U.S. Attorney's Office declined comment.

Fino, Patte and the third defendant, Christopher Marion, were to appear Thursday before Mannion on the gambling charges, which are related to an Internet gambling site.

Earlier Monday, Mannion agreed to postpone Patte's hearing until April 9 after his attorney, Michael I. Butera, requested more time to prepare his case. Marion's hearing has been rescheduled for April 1 because his attorney will be unavailable Thursday.

Federal prosecutors have filed a separate civil action to seize the bar/restaurant on the grounds that payments related to illegal wagers were allegedly made on the premises. The business on West Hollenback Avenue continues to operate.

[clevfan]

Patte’s worker in plea negotiations

Mark Fino gets delay in preliminary hearing related to illegal gambling allegations.

By Mark Guydish
timesleader.com



SCRANTON – Saying he is “presently in plea negotiations,” Patte’s Sports Bar employee Mark Fino filed paperwork Monday seeking – and winning – a delay in his preliminary hearing related to illegal gambling allegations at the popular bar/restaurant.


U.S. Magistrate Judge Malachy Mannion signed similar orders for two others charged in the case, Patrick Patte Jr. and Christopher Marion.

All three were charged Feb. 10 with conspiracy to transmit wagering information through use of wire communications, and all three had preliminary hearings set for this Thursday. All three filed motions asking Mannion to continue those hearings to a future date.

But Marion and Patte, 71, gave terse reasons. Patte’s motion noted only that he “needs additional time,” while Marion said his attorney, Joseph O’Brien “is unavailable” Thursday.

Fino’s motion, by comparison, was loquacious.

“The parties are presently in plea negotiations and are attempting to resolve this matter without the need for a preliminary examination or indictment,” federal public defender Ingrid Cronin wrote. “It is respectfully submitted that the ends of justice will be served” by excluding Fino, 52, from federal “Speedy trial” rules that required the hearing within 30 days of the charges.

Mannion granted all three motions, moving Marion’s hearing to April 1 at 2 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre, and rescheduling hearings for Patte and Fino to April 9, both at 2 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre.

The criminal complaint detailing the allegations is sealed, but federal authorities filed civil action Friday seeking to seize Patte’s Sports Bar under forfeiture law. In that paperwork, prosecutors say Patte and others set up an Internet site dubbed willtobet.com that accepted wagers on sporting events. Bettors allegedly collected their winnings or paid their losses at Patte’s bar.

Legal experts have said the decision to file civil forfeiture action instead of criminal action increases the odds of success because the legal standard of proof is not as stringent. The way the law is set up, Patte may still lose the property even if he is acquitted of criminal charges.