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Antigua's top gaming regulator and the founder of a new online site have accused a Long Island businessman of fraud.
They said that Benjamin Scheck, managing partner of West Point Enterprises, misrepresented his company as the holder of a license from Antigua to operate an offshore sports book. He used the name and license number, they said, of an actual licensee that has no ties to Scheck.
"I'd like to see Mr. Scheck behind bars,'' said Gyneth McAllister, Antigua's Director of Offshore Gaming. "The CIA and the FBI love to send people down here to investigate good people. Let them speak to their own people.
"Let them send Jay Cohen home where he belongs and put Ben Scheck in his (Cohen's) position.'' Cohen, whose online sports book is licensed by Antigua, is awaiting a verdict in his New York trial on federal charges of illegal betting activity.
Kelly Chohan, an Oregon businessman, found Scheck through an ad Scheck placed in USA Today. Chohan had been organizing a Web site called eMutualFun.com. He said the site would be "a virtual stock market,'' played with real money.
Chohan said he decided a gaming license would give his endeavor credibility. But he didn't want to pay the $100,000 that Antigua charges for licenses.
He said Scheck often runs ads in the weekend editions of USA Today, in the "Business Opportunities'' section under headlines like "Casinos Never Lose.'' He called the 800 number and wound up doing business with Scheck.
"I got scammed,'' Chohan said. "The man has done his homework.'' He said he spent hours on the phone with him.
"Ben Scheck was most knowledgeable. He told me he had six different licenses and that he owned W.W.T.S. (an online sports book), Sands of the Caribbean (an online casino) and others. I was very stupid and gullible.''
Chohan said he paid Scheck a deposit for Scheck to set up an online casino. He declined to say how much he paid Scheck, but said it was more than $10,000.
But Chohan wasn't that interested in a casino, just in the use of a gaming license for his stock game. He thought he got that from Scheck.
Chohan sent RGT Online a copy of a letter he said he received from Scheck. It's on West Point Enterprises letterhead, dated Feb. 3, 2000, and signed by Scheck. It reads:
"To Whom It May Concern:
"West Point Enterprises (a.k.a. W.W.T.S. Limited) was incorporated under the laws of Antigua & Barbuda on July 26, 1996 and has a current license #0132A allowing us to 'Operate an offshore Sports Wagering Operation.'
"W.W.T.S. Limited, has entered into a joint venture with E-Mutual Fun.com, which will operate and conduct all of its games under our license issued by the Antigua and Barbuda Free Trade & Processing Zone.''
Scheck also sent Chohan a copy of the license, he said. He now believes that Scheck simply downloaded the license from the Web site of the legitimate holder of the license.
The license number is real, and it is held by W.W.T.S. Limited. The initials stand for World Wide Tele-Sports Ltd., a sports book at www.betwwts.com. The same company has three other licenses in Antigua - for the Sands of the Caribbean, Inter Casino and Omni of the Caribbean.
McAllister said Friday that her research showed that Scheck had incorporated West Point Enterprises in Antigua as an international business corporation. She said he also registered an a.k.a. (also known as) name for the corporation: W.W.T.S.
"I believe Scheck intentionally used the a.k.a. W.W.T.S. to mislead people into believing it was the W.W.T.S. sports book,'' McAllister told RGT Online. "He absolutely committed fraud by forwarding the license to Kelly Chohan.''
She plans to ask the attorney general of Antigua to disenfranchise Scheck's corporation. She also will ask her country's ambassador in New York to report the matter to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
RGT Online asked Scheck Thursday if he had taken money from Chohan and told him he could use a license that wasn't in fact Scheck's license.
"That's not what happened in any shape or form,'' Sheck said. "Apparently I'm being stuck in the middle of something I don't want to be involved in.
"I was contacted by him (Chohan) to prepare Internet casinos. They're involved in some kind of stock game.''
Scheck said he runs ads in USA Today and lots of other places. His Web site, www.westpointenterprises.com, says, "West Point is committed to assisting the new and established Internet gaming entrepreneur to maximize success with their ventures, achieve financial growth and improve profitability.''
When asked if he had told Chohan or others that he owns the Sands of the Caribbean, Scheck said, "I have no control over what people say. I'm not going much further. I don't like being stuck in the middle. I've had tons of phone calls on this. I'm very annoyed, I'm ticked off.''