Monday, March 19, 2007

A Miami executive and his wife pleaded guilty to participating in a $3.3
billion illegal Internet sports gambling operation in New York on Friday,
the Queens District Attorney's office said. Daniel Clarin, 32, and his wife
Melissa Clarin, 31, pleaded guilty in court to enterprise corruption and
conspiracy charges for taking part in the operation that ran over a 28-month
period, according to a news release. The operation took bets on sports
including horse-racing, football, baseball, basketball, hockey, NASCAR
races, PGA golf and professional tennis, the release said. The couple were
among 27 people indicted in November in Queens County Supreme Court for
participating. The case represents the first time Internet gambling charges
were brought in the United States since President George W. Bush signed the
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act into law in October. The law
effectively banned online gambling by outlawing gaming financial
transactions.