The youngest individual charged in reference to an enormous worldwide playing ring, who was accused by the feds of operating a “vital bookmaking operation” at Illinois State College, dodged jail throughout his sentencing listening to Tuesday.
As a substitute, U.S. District Decide Virginia Kendall gave six months of residence confinement and a $10,000 fantastic to 25-year-old Matthew Namoff.
Federal prosecutors say Vincent “Uncle Mick” DelGiudice groomed Namoff and made him an equal accomplice within the bigger playing ring DelGiudice ran on-line. They mentioned Namoff managed 60 gamblers at ISU, and DelGiudice noticed it as a enterprise alternative.
That’s as a result of Namoff’s gamblers would finally go away ISU, get jobs and improve their bets.
“These weren’t small bets in a dorm room over beer,” Assistant U.S. Lawyer Terry Kinney wrote in a courtroom memo.
Protection legal professional Darryl Goldberg mentioned he “basically” disagreed with the prosecutor’s characterization of Namoff, insisting Namoff “pales as compared” to others charged in reference to the playing ring.
Earlier than he was sentenced, Namoff apologized to the choose and mentioned, “I stupidly noticed playing as a option to socialize in faculty, however by all this I now know that it’s not a victimless crime.”
“You’ll by no means see me once more,” Namoff mentioned. “Thanks, your honor.”
DelGiudice admitted earlier this year that he ran the bigger bookmaking enterprise from 2016 to 2019 in and round Chicago. Namoff, who pleaded guilty to his role in April, is the seventh individual to be sentenced in a sequence of associated circumstances which have been filed since early 2020.
Two of the six individuals beforehand sentenced landed jail time, however 4 others prevented it. One other defendant, Mettawa Mayor Casey Urlacher, was pardoned in January by then-President Donald Trump. DelGiudice has not been sentenced.
Goldberg wrote in a courtroom memo that Namoff suffered from an undiagnosed post-traumatic stress dysfunction stemming from a violent theft. He wrote that Namoff received drunk and bragged that he knew of DelGiudice and his playing web site in an try to extend his recognition.
“What started as $1 to $3 wagers on a sporting occasion over a beer morphed into one thing else,” Goldberg wrote. “Mr. Namoff’s [bettors] have been betting so small on common that the minimal wager was finally elevated to $5, clearly on the smallest scale of all charged on this case.”
Kinney and Goldberg painted drastically completely different footage of Namoff throughout Tuesday’s sentencing listening to. Regardless of Namoff’s responsible plea, Kinney even instructed that the choose give Namoff no credit score for accepting duty for his crime.
In the meantime, Goldberg pointed to Trump’s pardon of Urlacher, noting that Urlacher “was a suburban mayor when he recruited and profited giant quantities from gamblers.”
Goldberg wrote that Namoff “shouldn’t be imprisoned to keep away from disparate therapy beneath the regulation, whether or not this Honorable Courtroom believes Mr. Urlacher’s pardon was acceptable or not.”
“That must be addressed to a special place, not right here,” Kendall informed Goldberg.
