Online gambling operation busted in Texas

[Mousey]

Online gambling operation busted near Magnolia
By Jamie Nash
Courier staff
06/18/2008

MAGNOLIA – An investigation into an international illegal online gambling operation resulted in the arrest of three West Montgomery County residents Tuesday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit arrested Justin Franciscotty, 37, his wife Ana Franciscotty, 30, and his sister-in-law Stephanie Uselton, 25, at a home on Durango Creek Drive in the area of FM 1488 and Honea Egypt Road. They were charged with second-degree felony money laundering, punishable by two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The charges resulted from the alleged receipt of large amounts of illegally obtained currency through the U.S. Postal Service.

SIU Sgt. David Womack said officers converged on the residence Tuesday morning with a search warrant.

Franciscotty’s only means of income was an online gambling operation based in Costa Rica, Womack said. While he could not reveal the source of the information that launched the investigation, Womack said federal authorities also were involved and provided crucial information.

“The investigation revealed this residence was receiving large amounts of money through the postal service,” Womack said. “Once inside the residence, we found several packages from other parts of the United States, which at one point had several thousands of dollars inside.”

In one room of the home, Womack said, there were multiple TVs connected to satellite service, which investigators theorized ...

[Simmo!]

100% guaranteed to be sports betting

[suzecat]

Now where was that post about slow pays by Betroyal?

[MJackson]

I feel safer already.

Ali G: Do you know how much the movie Lord of The Rings has made?

Book Publisher: No I don't really know.

Ali G: It's made literally, thousands of dollars.

Book Publisher (laughing): Well, I think it's made a bit more than that.

which at one point had several thousands of dollars inside.

Big money here people. Good thing the cops are so focused on bringing down these criminal masterminds.

The investigation revealed this residence was receiving large amounts of money through the postal service

Clearly, this is a case of dangerously sophisticated criminal masterminds who were experts at subverting the law.

Thank god that the police are out there protecting the integrity of our professional sports industry and protecting us from these dangerous gangsters.

Law enforcement doesn't mess around in Texas. They know that if big-money villains like this were allowed to corrupt our sporting events that great men like George W Bush might never have built his 260 million dollar stadium which the Rangers later acquired for free as part of the deal to stay in Texas.
The taxpayers and fans of Texas may not have had the opportunity to build that stadium for George Bush and his partners.

Thank you FBI and DEA and local sheriffs for giving us the freedom to not be able to make bad choices on the internet.

[Mousey]

You know what creeps me out? This statement:

“The investigation revealed this residence was receiving large amounts of money through the postal service,”

[GaryWatson]

Its certainly not just people off the streets, that is a bookmaking ring. I take it was actual cash in the packets, That seems pretty heavy stuff and not just someone gambling online. The postal service use the same scanners as the airports, they use it for all mail that is flightbound. cash wouldnt get identified, and no chance of a cheque. Just throw in a jacket with plenty of zips. They have been out to get them but I dont think that would exclusively be a US thing, they would do it in our country too.

[MJackson]

These guys were too stupid to know they were being investigated. They were too stupid to figure out how to form an offshore corporation and have their offshore funds that never had to touch US soil wired there. They were too stupid apparently even to have their completely unecessary packages sent to a mail drop. And finally they were too stupid to run a US facing illegal gambling business without avoiding a paper trail that led right back to their front door.

These guys are world class idiots.

The story here to me is the cops and the FBI, DEA, NSA etc. wasting all this time and money on a non crime in the name of either A. protecting narrow interests with a lobby or B. (much worse) protecting the citizens of a free country from making choices.

[lots0]

I wonder if the state of Texas took these folks kids and put them in foster care?

[GaryWatson]

I wonder if the state of Texas took these folks kids and put them in foster care?

Yeah, it may have been poorly thought out but it wasnt just people in the USA gambling online. Its not something players should worry about

[lots0]

From everything I read about Texas now a days... Sounds like the government of Texas has decided to copy the government of China and North Korea in how they deal with the people that live in Texas...

The government in Texas is telling people how to run their lives rather than the people in Texas telling the government how to run things...