NEW YORK - a man admitted Illinois federal court Monday to help the large poker sites online dodge U.S. laws by the treatment of millions of dollars in payments from his home in Costa Rica and lie to the banks on the nature of game operations.
The so-called "payment processor" Bradley Franzen, 41, pleaded guilty in New York, to criminal charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and as a party operating illegal gambling business. He faces a possible maximum imprisonment for 30 years.
Franzen was among 11 people whose indictment was announced by federal prosecutors in New York last month when authorities seized domain Internet of Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars.
Prosecutors accused businesses and persons that they hired by encouraging regulators and banks at 3 billion dollars in payments processing illegally.
Online gaming is illegal in the United States since 2006. However, some U.S. lawmakers have spoken recently Internet legalization of gaming and regulation.
During this time, two new indictments have been unsealed Monday pricing of both companies and three people operating a business in illegal gambling and money laundering, prosecutors said it.
In the case, 10 Internet sites were seized by an order of the Court, including Bookmaker.com and Truepoker.com. Eleven of the bank accounts were seized in United States, Guam, Panama, Malta, Portugal and the Netherlands.
Those charged include ThrillX Systems Ltd, operated under BetEd; Financial services K23, who was doing business BMX Entertainment; Ann Marie Puig de Costa Rica and Darren Wright and David Parchomchuk of the Canada.
At the hearing of argument in the case of New York, Franzen, which is Illinois and has a house in Costa Rica, told the Court that he is contacted by a company of Internet poker in 2009.
"I was aware that most of us banks do not process payments... and I understood it prohibited U.S. law", said Franzen.
Requested by U.S. magistrate judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox plea procedure, how much money was involved, Franzen stated: "I understand in general terms that it was millions of dollars, but I don't know how many."
He said that he drove most of its business from his residence to Costa Rica.
Franzen lawyer, Sam Schmidt, refused to comment on the content of what the judge described as "agreements and agreements" with the Government that are contained in a letter of May 10.
Those charged, including the three founders of the Web sites, eight are in General outside the United States.
Cases are USA Tzvetkoff et al. and USA / Franzen, District Court for the Southern District of New York, no. 10 - 336.
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