Poker Crime Clearly Pays for Someone

/ Editor / 18 October 2007 / Leave a Comment

SAYS WSOP bracelet holder Richard Lee: "I'm glad it's over," and added "Now I need to go win another poker tournament."

Lee, who won $2.8 million at the 2006 WSOP main event, has not just been trapped in a room for seven hours with Phil Hellmuth. Nothing so terrible. Lee had been facing bookmaking charges in San Antonio, Texas. The police in that locale frown upon online gambling. And last month Lee and four partners were charged with promoting gambling for running a website on which they collected bets.

The SA police considered Lee the bookmaker and his home the base of an online betting operation.

Lee has now agreed to a plea deal to a lesser charge of keeping a place for gambling. He has agreed to hand over $2.2 million in alleged poker earnings.

First Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg says: "In Texas, gambling is a misdemeanor, but when you hit them in the pocketbook, that's where it hurts. The misdemeanor doesn't hurt as much as the loss of all the ill-gotten gains."

That'll learn 'em. Crime does not pay. So where does the money go from such skulduggery?

As reported, most likely half will go to the San Antonio Police Department while the other stays in the DA's office for salaries, equipment and other law enforcement purpose.

Good to see no-one profits from "ill-gotten gains".