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The operators of an offshore bookmaking operation pleaded guilty to charges in U.S. District Court in St. Louis last week, according to reports by the Associated Press and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Marc Meghrouni, 39, of Balboa, Calif., and Scott D. Shaver, 40, of Garden Grove, Calif., admitted guilt to charges of impairing the work of the Internal Revenue Service and violating the Wire Wager Act. A company they controlled, Hoss Limited Inc., pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Hoss Limited, which did business as Paradise Casino, will pay $11.4 million in back taxes, interest and penalties, the AP reported.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Fleissig said Meghrouni and Shaver will forfeit a beachfront condo in Orange County, Calif., valued at more than $1 million; an office building in Irvine, Calif., worth more than $2 million; and a 1995 Lamborghini Diablo, valued at $250,000.
In addition, when the men are sentenced June 9, they could receive up to five years in jail and fines up to $500,000 each. Hoss Limited could be fined up to $3.5 million.
The AP story said the case was brought in St. Louis because Hoss Limited laundered money through a St. Louis bank, and because money was transferred through a Western Union office in St. Louis. The company was incorporated in Nevada.
Officials said Paradise Casino operated a sports book from 1995 until 1998, first from Antigua and later in Atlanta and in The Netherlands. The wagers and information related to the wagers were transmitted through the Internet and toll-free phone numbers, they said.
The Post-Dispatch quoted authorities as saying the crimes occurred in California, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, the Cayman Islands, Ireland and elsewhere. More prosecutions are expected.
Marc Meghrouni, 39, of Balboa, Calif., and Scott D. Shaver, 40, of Garden Grove, Calif., admitted guilt to charges of impairing the work of the Internal Revenue Service and violating the Wire Wager Act. A company they controlled, Hoss Limited Inc., pleaded guilty to money laundering.
Hoss Limited, which did business as Paradise Casino, will pay $11.4 million in back taxes, interest and penalties, the AP reported.
U.S. Attorney Audrey Fleissig said Meghrouni and Shaver will forfeit a beachfront condo in Orange County, Calif., valued at more than $1 million; an office building in Irvine, Calif., worth more than $2 million; and a 1995 Lamborghini Diablo, valued at $250,000.
In addition, when the men are sentenced June 9, they could receive up to five years in jail and fines up to $500,000 each. Hoss Limited could be fined up to $3.5 million.
The AP story said the case was brought in St. Louis because Hoss Limited laundered money through a St. Louis bank, and because money was transferred through a Western Union office in St. Louis. The company was incorporated in Nevada.
Officials said Paradise Casino operated a sports book from 1995 until 1998, first from Antigua and later in Atlanta and in The Netherlands. The wagers and information related to the wagers were transmitted through the Internet and toll-free phone numbers, they said.
The Post-Dispatch quoted authorities as saying the crimes occurred in California, Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, the Cayman Islands, Ireland and elsewhere. More prosecutions are expected.
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