The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that a 40-year old Mechanicsburg man was sentenced today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge William C. Caldwell to 5 months in federal prison followed by 5 month’s house arrest. Sheely is to report for service of his sentence on April 7, 2015.

Steven Sheely, Jr., pled guilty on December 4, 2014, to being involved with his father, Steven Sheely, Sr., and seven other named individuals, in a conspiracy to run an illegal sports gambling operation.

According United States Attorney Peter Smith, Sheely, Sr. and the others took in millions of dollars in illegal bets on all manners of sporting events. The bookmaking activity took place mainly in the central Pennsylvania area where the participants in the organization lived. The organization was dismantled primarily through the use of a court authorized wiretap and the arrest of the participants on May 22, 2014.

The prosecution stemmed from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture’s Racing Commission, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe was assigned to handle the investigation and prosecution of the case.