Stamford Man Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Charges Stemming from Illegal Gambling Businesses
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 20, 2013 |
Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Douglas Corbin, 52, of Stamford, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to one count of conspiring to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act stemming from his involvement in organized crime-controlled illegal gambling businesses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, after a long-term investigation led by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Stamford Police Department, Corbin and 19 other individuals were charged with various offenses related to their involvement in an illegal Internet sports bookmaking operation and illegal card gambling clubs in Stamford and Hamden that were controlled by the Gambino crime family of La Cosa Nostra.
The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Corbin was involved in a large-scale sports bookmaking operation in which gamblers placed bets with offshore Internet sports-gambling websites, particularly www.44wager.com, based in Costa Rica.
FBI analysis of the sports betting website utilized by the co-defendants has determined that the total gross revenues of the Stamford-based gambling operation were nearly $1.7 million from October 2010 to June 2011.
In addition, Corbin and others operated a card gambling club at 514 Glenbrook Road in Stamford, where a house percentage, commonly referred to as a “rake,” was collected from every hand played.
Judge Bryant has scheduled sentencing for September 12, 2013, at which time Corbin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He also has agreed to forfeit $100,000.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI Fairfield County Organized Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hal Chen and Peter Jongbloed.