Hawaii News Now – We are learning more details about the take down of a multi-million dollar illegal internet gambling ring. An undercover officer worked for a year to nail 26 key players in the high stakes sports betting scheme that stretched from Hawaii to Costa Rica.
Defense Attorney Megan Kau told Hawaii News Now, “For most of these defendants, when their houses were searched, their computers were found. The computers are in their house, the link. That coupled with the fact the government has the records, is difficult to defend.”
Kau represented the first two people sentenced in the gambling/money laundering scheme. Together, we looked over the list of accused agents who’ve copped a guilty plea. “Most of these people are employed with reputable companies with no criminal history” explains Kau.
The first, car dealer Terrence Ching, received 3 years probation. He acted as bookie, placing millions in bets to gaming sites in Costa Rica.
Authorities forfeited more than 6-hundred thousand in cash from Ching, along with a stash of semi-automatic weapons, diamonds and five Rolex watches.
Assaggio’s owner Thomas Ky admitted to laundering more than 1-million dollars of illegal gambling money to bogus cleaning companies paid through his five restaurants.
Authorities followed the money trail right to a condo at Capitol Place. They say the alleged ringleader bought property using illegal money from this operation.
The condo was allegedly home to mastermind Felix Tom who had 3.5 million cash.
