An leisure trade accountant pleaded responsible on July 25 in California to a felony cost of mendacity to federal regulation enforcement officers about his function in laundering illicit proceeds from an unlawful playing operation, the federal government stated.
A former minor-league baseball participant ran the operation, which additionally concerned skilled athletes.
William Eric Fulton, 59, of Agoura Hills, pleaded responsible to 1 depend of creating false statements.
According to his plea settlement, Fulton and his firm offered bookkeeping, accounting and tax preparation providers for Wayne Joseph Nix, 46, of Newport Coast, a former minor-league baseball participant who ran an unlawful bookmaking enterprise for practically 20 years.
Beginning no later than 2011, Fulton was conscious that Nix ran an unlawful playing enterprise, the federal government stated. He laundered Nix’s illicit playing proceeds by transferring cash between accounts, issuing checks and wires to Nix’s playing shoppers who gained massive bets, and serving to Nix get hold of financial institution loans to facilitate the playing enterprise.
Between 2010 and 2020, Fulton charged Nix roughly $336,645 in skilled charges for his monetary providers.
“Lying to federal law enforcement officials in an attempt to cover up criminal activity is a serious offense,” stated HSI Los Angeles appearing Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “Securing a guilty plea, in this case, speaks to the professionalism and commitment of the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force to hold accountable those engaged in illicit financial crimes.”
Fulton additionally admitted in his plea settlement that on three separate events from March 2011 to October 2019, he offered no-cost private loans to Nix totaling $1.25 million, which allowed Nix to pay his playing shoppers when Nix wanted fast entry to funds.
Fulton additionally positioned private bets with Nix by way of the Sand Island Sports web site. On at some point, Fulton positioned 14 bets, together with three on an expert match of one in every of his firm’s shoppers. Fulton additionally referred not less than one in every of his firm’s shoppers to Nix for the needs of unlawful playing.
During an October 2021 interview with federal regulation enforcement officers concerning the Nix playing enterprise, Fulton falsely denied all information of Nix’s involvement in sports activities playing, falsely claimed to have had no information that Nix was a bookmaker till studying regulation enforcement had searched Nix’s dwelling in February 2020, and repeatedly made the false assertion that he had by no means positioned a guess with Nix.
U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee scheduled a Nov. 29 sentencing listening to, at which era Fulton will face a statutory most sentence of 5 years in federal jail. He has agreed to pay a tremendous of not less than $673,290.
Nix pleaded responsible in April 2022 to 1 depend of conspiracy to function an unlawful playing enterprise and one depend of subscribing to a false tax return. His sentencing listening to is scheduled for March 6, 2024.
Nix’s longtime associate within the playing operation — Edon Yoshida Kagasoff, 45, of Lake Forest, California — pleaded responsible in April 2022 to 1 depend of conspiracy to function an unlawful playing enterprise. Kagasoff was sentenced on July 5 to 6 months of probation, fined $1,000, and ordered to forfeit $3,164,563 in ill-gotten beneficial properties.
Former Major League Baseball participant Yasiel Puig Valdés, 32, who allegedly lied to federal regulation enforcement investigating Nix’s unlawful playing operation, is charged with obstruction of justice and making false statements. His trial is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2024.
