
Welfare recipients have allegedly been gambling on another person’s dollar in Florida by utilizing EBT cards at underground gaming facilities.
Welfare recipients in Tallahassee, Florida, have purportedly been using their benefit that is electronic transferEBT) cards to buy, among other things, alcohol and tobacco, and in addition used the funds to gamble.
A multi-agency investigation led by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office in Tallahassee has identified 132 suspects tangled up in a illegal gambling and fraud scheme. Four local residents in Leon County have already been arrested on charges of racketeering, money laundering, welfare card fraudulence, and unlawful gambling.
Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood says the operation netted the ringleaders a huge selection of 1000s of dollars in ill-gotten gains.
Wondwossen Gizaw-Tessema, 57, Eyerusalem Hiluf, 31, Firehiwot Gebre, 35, and Christabel Ekhosuehi, 29, were apprehended by Leon County, with all the first three accused of being the ringleaders of the enterprise that is multi-venue.
According up to a press release, the Wondu Marathon Convenience Store, Euro Fashions Boutique, One Stop university Market, Pretty Game Boutique, and Belen Mart businesses were all used as gambling enterprises and EBT exchange centers.
Down with EBT
Legislation enforcement believes Gizaw-Tessema was the boss for the operation, as he owns many of the continuing businesses included in the band. Leon County described the illegal gambling machines to be similar to slots, in that players simply deposited money, hit a button, and won or lost.
An overall total of 24 devices were apprehended from the Sheriff’s Office raids that took place in after obtaining search warrants july.
Issued by the Florida Department of Children and Families, EBT cards cannot be utilized to acquire alcoholic beverages, nor can the funds be invested in bars, liquor stores, adult activity venues, or pari-mutuel or gambling facilities.
Gizaw-Tessema created a solution that is nifty the EBT regulations by providing money in trade for typical essential family supplies. He allegedly offered Costco and Sam’s Club shopping lists to EBT cardholders, and when the welfare recipients returned aided by the items, they were paid by him 50 cents regarding the dollar for the items.
With cash in hand, many ‘customers’ are suspected of trying to recoup their losses on Gizaw-Tessema’s gaming devices.
Detectives estimate the EBT operation taken in upwards of $1,000 a day. Financial records show Gizaw-Tessema deposited an overall total of $1.4 million to four bank accounts dating straight back to January.
EBT Gambling
The story out of Tallahassee is undoubtedly perhaps not the first time EBT monies have been used to gamble.
A 2010 audit in Ca unveiled that $1.8 million in welfare funds were spent at casinos. And in Seattle, a news that is local investigation in 2013 unearthed that $2 million of EBT money ended up being gambled with at Washington casinos.
Congress encouraged states in 2012 issuing welfare money to ‘maintain policies and practices’ that prevent wasteful spending by recipients in ‘any liquor store, any casino, gambling casino, or video gaming establishment.’ However, the federal law doesn’t explicitly mandate that states follow the rules.
Most state lawmakers have obliged.
Only two states, Minnesota and Texas, don’t have any regulations preventing EBT money from being used for gambling. Minnesota does ban EBT cards from tobacco and alcohol purchases, while Texas has no regulations on what one’s welfare money is spent.
US Start Match-Fixing Scandal Once Again Plagues Tennis
The usa Open match-fixing scandal in ny has once again place the sport front and center within the media, with critics calling the activity’s integrity into question.
Irregular patterns that are betting Vitalia Diatchenko (in yellow) and Timea Bacsinszky’s first-round US Open match have came back tennis match-fixing to the headlines. (Image: Alex Goodlett/Getty Pictures)
On August 30, 15th-ranked Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland beat Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko in right sets. But after having a 6-1, 6-1 match, tennis’ governing human anatomy was asked to probe the contest.
The Tennis Integrity product (TIU), formed in 2008 by the tennis that is leading around the world, is investigating whether poor agreements had been made prior to Bacsinszky and Diatchenko’s match.
Russian online bookmaker Fonbet ended up being apparently the first to inform tennis over suspicious gambling patterns. Bet365 filed similar grievances and said it had been forced to suspend betting in the match.
‘ As with all cases, the TIU will assess, produce a judgment and take action that is appropriate the alert information gotten and obtained for the first round singles match between Vitalia Diatchenko and Timea Bacsinszky played at the US Open,’ the TIU said in a declaration. ‘ Every alert received is followed and assessed up as an indicator that something inappropriate could have occurred. Its essential to appreciate that an alert by itself isn’t proof of match-fixing.’
Integrity Device Win
Corruption has unfortunately beleaguered the sport of tennis for decades, however the 2016 US open match-fixing scandal could have a long-term impact that is positive. That’s because the match in concern appears to go against all conventional match-fixing wisdom.
Instead of an unranked or opponent that is lower-seeded off an upset at insurmountable chances, Bacsinszky, the 16th-ranked player in the globe, did exactly what she ended up being likely to do. Bacsinszky won is sets that are straight but regardless, the betting houses detected irregularities.
Bacsinszky won a silver medal in increases at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, while Diatchenko is ranked 677th in the world.
Bacsinszky was a -425 favorite at Bovada, meaning one would have to bet $425 to win $100. However in tennis, as may be the instance with specific other activities, in-play wagering has grown in popularity overseas.
Numerous side wagers are offered on tennis including set scores, total matches in a game, very first to win a collection, total sets, and more.
Many believe tennis match-fixing corruption largely occurs during lower-level matches where never as many eyes are watching. However, fewer bets will also be typically put on non-marquee games, which makes it that more challenging to conceal fraudulent activity.
Sports Betting Enjoy
The TIU has had a busy 2016. In the quarter that is first, the agency ended up being notified 48 times over dubious gambling patterns.
The most notable tennis name to be engulfed in sports gambling is current number 1 Novak Djokovic. In 2007, the 12-time Grand Slam winner said he was approached with a bookie and https://myfreepokies.com/dolphin-treasure/ offered $200,000 to lose a first-round match.
At the Open that is australian ended up being suspended on a blended doubles match, nevertheless the TIU later on said it discovered no proof of match-fixing.
A 2007 game between Martin Arguello and Nikolay Davydenko brought tennis match-fixing towards the limelight. Arguello, ranked 87th worldwide during the time, won the match when fourth-ranked Davydenko withdrew citing an injury.
Alleged Mob Kingpin Joey Merlino Banned from All Pennsylvania Gambling Enterprises
Ba-da-bing! Joey ‘Skinny Joey’ Merlino banned from Pennsylvania’s 12 casino hotspots. (Image: Miami Herald)
Joey Merlino, the person who the FBI believes to be the relative head of the Philadelphia Mob, has been banned from entering the state’s 12 casinos. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) voted unanimously this to designate ‘Skinny Joey’ persona non grata, after an altercation at the Sugarhouse Casino in March week.
That, and the fact he was arrested in early August along side 46 alleged mob associates, soldiers and capos, and accused of being one of the ringleaders of an unlawful empire known as the East Coast La Cosa Nostra Enterprise.
Skinny Joey and his associates happen charged, variously, with illegal gambling, extortion, gun-running, fraud, good racketeering that is old-fashioned and other crimes. He’s currently out on $5 million bail as he awaits trial.
Blackjack Fracas
The PGCB stated it began its investigation following an incident during the Sugarhouse blackjack tables when Merlino and his entourage dropped right into a disagreement with other players.
In accordance with documents seen by Fox Information, things got heated and several punches were thrown before security broke up the battle. Merlino reportedly then shook hands with certainly one of the group that is opposing left.
He was met by PGCB agents who attempted to serve him with an exclusion order, but he brushed them off and walked out when he returned to the same casino the following month.
Agents again attempted to serve him the order when he showed up at Harrahs Casino in Chester, and were again waved away by the reputed gangster.
‘We attempted to serve him at his restaurant, his house, at Harrah’s, at SugarHouse,’ stated board spokesman Doug Harbach. ‘It’s a permanent ban he must certanly be removed from the list. unless he petitions the board to be removed and offers the board with ample reason why’
Wiseguy Sting
The arrests last month came as the result of a joint research between your FBI and nyc’s organized crime task force and is thought to have spanned several years and involved infiltration by the undercover FBI agent into the ranks for the company.
Investigators say they have collected a large number of hours of testimonies gathered through wiretaps and the cooperation of a witness. The 32-page indictment unsealed last month details incidents of assaults, threats and arson.
Merlino has beaten murder charges within the past, but has served prison time for racketeering. He had been barred from all Atlantic City gambling enterprises.
Quebec Regulator Accuses Ex-Amaya Chief David Baazov of Taking Kickbacks
It’s been a rough year for David Baazov. The former golden child and chief executive officer of Canada’s Amaya Inc., ended up being charged by Quebec’s financial regulatory arm, the AMF, of insider trading. He first took a temporary leave, and then finally stepped down, from his executive duties at the gaming company although he has denied all the charges vehemently.
David Baazov denies the charges which he profited from an advanced insider trading scheme by receiving ten percent kickbacks for leaking information that is privileged. (Image: YouTube.com)
But now, a new bombshell has been lobbied during the ex-leader: that of taking kickbacks in exchange for information, as reported by the AMF. According to court papers filed by the regulator, Baazov ended up being the head of an insider trading ‘pyramid’ and took kickbacks for leaking privileged information to a ‘sophisticated system.’
The network, the AMF contends, contains his brother, some company acquaintances, as well as other family and friends members.
Baazov engineered one the most takeovers that are audacious gambling history, the $4.9 billion purchase of PokerStars by Amaya. But he formally resigned last month as CEO and chairman of the company he transformed into one of the primary online gambling players in the world.
Now he faces new allegations, presented this week in court documents, which would be the results of a continued investigation by the AMF on the spring and summer. The regulator alleges that Baazov had been the primary source of leaked information that had been disseminated through their brother, Josh Baazov, and their associate, Craig Levett, A amaya that is former consultant.
Ten Percent Kickbacks
It also alleges that these three took kickbacks because of their services, typically amounting to 10 % of all profits gained, and that included ‘luxury items’ presented as gifts, including a Rolex watch well worth $13,000. The AMF alleges that the terms were ‘negotiated before the offenses,’ and that the combined team showed a ‘high amount of organization and elegance’ in its operations.
The regulator says the combined team, consisting of 13 people, made around $1.5 million in benefit from trading stocks ahead of at least six takeover deals, heading back to Amaya’s acquisition of Cryptologic this season.
Amaya has had a ambitious m&a strategy in the last six years, acquiring Chartwell, Ongame, Cadillac Jack, and Diamond Game Enterprises, along with Cryptologic and also the Oldford Group, which owned PokerStars. Two purchases under scrutiny had been unrelated to Amaya: Scientific Games’ purchase of WMS and Intertain’s acquisition Gamesys’ major assets.
Baazov Denial
In line with the AMF, members associated with the group had been still attempting to benefit from Baazov’s bid to acquire Amaya and take it private, a move that was announced in this year, long after the AMF investigation had been launched january.
‘Mr. Baazov has been categorical: he did not receive anything,’ his spokesman Ian Robertson told the Financial Post via email. ‘As Mr. Baazov has previously stated, he is innocent of any wrongdoing and wanting to present his defense,’ Robertson added.
On Wednesday, Baazov’s attorney formerly filed a notice contesting the brand new allegations. While retired CEO has resigned forever from his professional positions within the company, he remains its majority shareholder.