SPORTSBETTING ACCUSED SENTENCED (update)

27 June 2008

New Jersey man faces 3 to 4 years in jail


Vincent "Big Vince" Filipelli (53) the Philadelphia man convicted in a federal court of promoting Internet sportsbetting and possession of prohibited weapons earlier this year (see previous InfoPowa report) has been sentenced to 3-4 years in state prison after completing a 5-year federal prison sentence for threatening an undercover detective. Filipelli admitted he ran an internet-based gambling operation, and that he had been in possession of two billy clubs and a dagger.

Filipelli made the headlines when he was caught on video and audio tape threatening an undercover New Jersey state trooper as he tried to collect a gambling debt in a club parking lot, saying: "Because I will come to your house. I'll hunt you down until I'm paid..." and "He turns it into me. I turn into my people downtown. Okay, this ain't the Sopranos, this is real f****** life."

Filipelli's lawyer has insisted his client never meant to hurt anyone. "He never injured anybody, never put his hands on anybody, never raised his hands to anybody. He yelled at a guy to get him to pay the debt," he told the court.

Filipelli pleaded guilty last year in Federal Court to one count of interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

Online Casino News courtesy of InfoPowa