Bookie sentenced for illegal gambling

Daniel Dreese, 65, a bookie in Kansas, USA, has been convicted for two years’ probation for his crimes related with illegal gambling. A federal judge pronounced the judgement, after  Dreese pleaded guilty in February to two counts of making false statements on income tax returns. He accepted that he made hundreds of thousands of dollars from illegal bookmaking including receiving $89,078 from the enterprise in 2011 and $136,985 in 2012. He also suppressed $383,684 in income in 2010.

Both counts Dreese pleaded guilty fall under the crime felony. He has become the first person to be sentenced in this federal gambling probe, which included wire-tapping the cell phones of state senator Michael O’Donnell and Wichita businessman Brandon Steven. Steven revealed to The Eagle that investigators were interested in his playing of high-stakes poker and his involvement in trying to open a casino in Kansas. There are no charges against Steven and O’Donnell.

At least seven people other than Dreese have been charged for running or taking part in illegal poker games in Wichita, bookmaking and tax-related crimes. Some are law enforcement officers; one is a tennis coach who worked at Wichita schools.

In addition to serving two years of probation, Dreese on Thursday also was ordered to pay $214,540 in restitution, court records show. He is barred from any business, profession or volunteer work where he has discretionary authority over financial matters, and he cannot open new credit cards or rack up new charges without permission from his probation officer, according to court records. He also is not allowed to gamble.

District Judge Eric Melgren handed down the sentence.

Source: kansas.com