US District Attorney Joe Hogsett Says Prosecutors Are Happy with the Verdict
The ringleader of a multi-million dollar illegal gambling ring was sentenced to four years probation by an Indiana district court this week. Terry Crofford will spend a year of his probation at a Louisville Halfway House, then be released to serve the remainder of his probation sentence among the population.
Along with the sentence, Mr. Crofford must pay a $5,000 fine, said Joseph Hogsett, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. The financial punishment is likely to be of far greater significance, as the illegal bookmaker had to surrender properties, including his auto business.
Details of the Gambling Ring
According to prosecutors, Crofford collected $500,000 a year in gambling revenues. Crofford did not pay taxes on these winnings, though the IRS may have a difficult time tracking the money.
Seven other men involved in the gambling ring were sentenced on Wednesday. These men received sentences of 2 to 4 years of probation. In each case, they were assessed fines between $1,000 and $4,000.
Longtime, Lucrative, and Successful
According to Mr. Hogsett, the gambling business was “longtime, lucrative, and successful”. The operation may have been in existence for 20 years in the Jeffersonville area. It is thought wagers might have been taken from parts of Kentucky, Ohio, and perhaps even Florida.
Terry Crofford’s gambling ring is thought to have taken in $1 million in wagers each year. Sports betting was the form of gambling preferred. The most common bets were placed on the NFL, Major League Baseball, and horse racing.
Prosecution Satisfied with Verdict
The prosecution hoped to get a 24-month prison sentence for Crofford. Such a sentence is in keeping with the federal guidelines for such crimes. Chief Justice Richard L. Young gave a lighter sentence, because of the non-violent nature of the crimes, the age of the defendant, and his otherwise spotless record. In other recent sports betting rings, such as an infamous one in Florida, bookies employed thugs to settle bets.
Despite the lighter sentence, Hogsett says he was pleased with the sentence. According to the prosecutor, the men responsible for the gambling ring will still have to pay for their crimes.
Additional Property Surrendered
Those reading about a man who may have pocketed $10 million being required to pay a $5 thousand fine and spend a year in a halfway house might not think the punishment fits the crime. Besides the fines, the convicted were required to hand over certain personal property from their ill-gotten wealth. This included vehicles and two real estate properties in Utica, Indiana. Crofford also had to surrender his personal bank account, as well as his legitimate business, TC Auto. In addition, Crofford surrendered property in the amount of $120,000, which is the equity in his personal residence.
The investigation into the Jeffersonville gambling ring first began in 2009. Over a three-year period, investigators collected evidence and unraveled the gambling ring. Indictments were handed down for 8 of the men in May 2012. Some of those men were sentenced in 2013.
Betting Rings in Nearby States
The sentences ends a longtime betting ring, but operations throughout the Midwest continue to thrive. Ohio‘s law enforcement officers continue to warn people about gambling parlors located in strip malls, which have become popular throughout the state. Just in the last few months, federal prosecutors took down one operation in Kentucky, while local law enforcement took down a second gambling operation in another part of the state.
Whether gambling is legal or illegal in a state, a certain segment of the population is determined to enjoy gaming. Wagering like the activities organized by Terry Crofford are difficult for the authorities to track, because they are so informal. Even illegal poker rooms and slot machine parlors require a location to house the gaming. With sports betting, a bookie only needs a phone, a way to record the bets, and a network of people willing to trust both sides will pay their debts.
