BetOnSports founder is considered flight risk by magistrate
Thursday 5th April 2007
Gary Kaplan has been refused bail by Puerto Rican Magistrate Marcos Lopez. Kaplan was arrested on March 28 in the Dominican Republic and taken to Puerto Rico where he is awaiting transfer to the mainland US.
His attorney, Maria Sandoval has already stated that she will apply for bail on behalf of her client once he reaches Missouri, where he will face 22 counts of criminal indictment.
Several BetOnSports officials have been charged with fraud, racketeering and conspiracy. Norm Stinberg is reported to be in Costa Rica, where Gambling911 reports that he has married a local lawyer. This may give him immunity from extradition. The whereabouts of Peter Wilson is still unknown.
Kaplan is not the first to be arrested. Former CEO David Carruthers was seized during an airport lay-over on the way to the Central American country, and now faces trial in St. Louis. Carruthers is not in jail pending his hearing, but under house arrest at a hotel.
BetonSports officials Norm Stinberg, David Carruthers, Gary Kaplan and Peter Wilson were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2006.
