Earlier this week, Eugene “Geno” DelGiudice, pleaded guilty through a video link to helping to operate an illegal betting ring. DelGiudice is accused of helping his son, Vincent DelGiudice, operate an illegal pay-per-head betting ring in Illinois.
The illegal gambling business brought in millions of dollars, according to federal prosecutors, and almost all of that money came from gamblers in the Chicago area. Uncle Mick’s Sports was the name of the website that was used to attract pay-per-head customers and earn a huge amount of money from their bets.
The initial arrests came in February, and there were a total of 10 individuals charged and arrested at that time. One of the men that was arrested was Casey Urlacher, who is the brother to former Bears linebacker, Brian Urlacher.
Casey Urlacher is big into politics in the state of Illinois, but he was forced to give up one position due to the federal indictment charges against him. Urlacher was forced to resign from his position on the Illinois Civil Service Commission, which was appointed by the governor.
Urlacher remains the mayor of Mettawa, and he has not been forced to give that up amid the allegations. Mettawa is a small village in Lake County, Ill. Urlacher has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that he does not know the DelGiudice family.
Vincent DelGiudice was Ringleader
Federal prosecutors have determined that Vincent DelDiudice was the ringleader of the operation, while the other nine members were just accomplices. The nine other members that were arrested were considered agents in the operation, but they are still set to be charged with federal crimes.
DelGiudice was caught on a wiretap telling his associates that he had more than 1,000 members in his illegal gambling ring. Federal agents found more than $1.1 million in his home when they conducted the search, and all of this money way in banknotes. There was also more than $500,000 in jewelry and pure silver located on the premises when they confiscated his home.
Vincent DelGiudice is charged with several crimes, and it could eventually lead to a lifetime in prison. Each money laundering charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, and DelGiudice has six counts of money laundering charged against him.
Two former officers of the Chicago Police Department were also charged as a part of this illegal gambling ring, and they are expected to be officially charged later this year. Agents in the illegal gambling ring could face up to five years in prison, depending on their involvement in the gambling ring.
What is Pay-Per-Head?
Pay-per-head sites are only legal in select locations throughout the United States, but Chicago was not one of these locations. Pay-Per-Head sites recruit agents that bring in other sports bettors to offer sports betting.
These pay-per-head sites then collect personal information for each member that signs up at the site, and they are also able to rack up money for each bet that is placed. The elder DelGiudice admitted to helping his son run the business from 2016-19, earning millions of dollars from customers.
Pay-per-head sites are illegal in the state of Illinois, but the software can be purchased from other countries where this type of operation is legal. The younger DelGiudice was able to launch his website using information from an off-shore site and was able to take money from customers in the Chicago area.
Pay-Per-Head sites are legal in several states throughout the United States, but the state of Illinois had some very restrictive gaming laws at the time of this operation.
