ST. LOUIS (CN) - Three Florida men pleaded guilty in Federal Court for their involvement in the BetOnSports online gaming case. William Lenis, 55, Will Lenis, 28, and Manny Lenis, 29, admitted to promoting BetOnSports in the United States.
William Lenis pleaded guilty to the interstate transportation of gambling paraphernalia and admitted that his company Mobile Promotions sent logo-wrapped mobile homes to sporting events across the country to recruit new gamblers. He also admitted to sending out 2 million to 3 million ads for BetOnSports annually and worked directly with BetOnSports founder Gary Kaplan and other Kaplan family members. Will Lenis pleaded guilty to transmission of wagering information and Manny Lenis pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to pay a wagering tax. In exchange for the pleas, prosecutors agreed to drop all other charges against the men and to drop charges against Monica Lenis.
The men are the first individuals to plead guilty in the BetOnSports case. BetOnSports, once one of the largest online gambling companies in the world, pleaded guilty as a company to similar charges in 2007. The charges effectively ended the company. Kaplan and BetOnSports former Chief Executive David Carruthers were also indicted for their involvement in 2006.
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