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Calabasas Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Offshore Gambling, Money Laundering, Tax Evasion

A federal judge will determine his punishment under sentencing guidelines.

Overview

  • Prosecutors say he ran a Costa Rica-based site used by unlicensed operators to take bets from U.S. customers, including Californians.
  • Between 2018 and 2022 he concealed up to $4,198,136 in income, reporting no taxable income for 2020 despite earning $1.8 million.
  • Investigators say he laundered proceeds by exchanging cash for checks, totaling between $1.5 million and $3.5 million across the scheme.
  • The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation’s International Tax and Financial Crimes group and Homeland Security Investigations, with DOJ Tax Section attorneys prosecuting.
  • The government estimates a tax loss of no more than $1,524,528, and sentencing is set for May 12 with maximum terms of 10 years for money laundering and five years for the tax evasion and illegal gambling counts.