AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885
MARCH 15, 2006
THREE MONTGOMERY COUNTY FAMILY MEMBERS INDICTED FOR CONDUCTING A GAMBLING BUSINESS IN BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA
Over 50,000 Phone Calls Made in Seven Months on Toll-Free Numbers Established For Bookmaking Operation
Greenbelt, Maryland - United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein announces that today a federal grand jury indicted Herbert David Meyers, age 60, of Potomac, Maryland; his brother-in-law Robert Levine, age 69, of Montgomery Village, Maryland; and Levine’s son, Steven Levine, age 45, also of Montgomery Village, Maryland, for conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business, and conducting an illegal gambling business. Meyers and Robert Levine are also charged with several counts of money laundering.
According to the 12 count indictment, the defendants conspired from March 2001 to January 21, 2004 to conduct and own all or part of an illegal sports bookmaking business. Meyers and others allegedly solicited prospective bettors to place wagers on professional and college football games, professional and college basketball games and other sporting events through word-of-mouth discussions and hand-to-hand distribution of pamphlets and advertisements about their bookmaking operation. The defendants are alleged to have designated several toll-free telephone numbers to be used for placing wagers and obtaining line information for upcoming sports events. The indictment alleges that Meyers, Robert Levine and other coconspirators directed bettors to place their wagers for sporting events with World Wide Wagering, Inc. and provided bettors with a business card that contained a code number, a password, a toll-free telephone number and an Internet website address for placing wagers on sporting events.
More specifically, the indictment alleges that more than 50,000 phone calls were received from September 2002 to March 2003 on two of the toll-free telephone numbers set up by the defendants to handle the bookmaking business. Meyers and Robert Levine collected payments from losing bettors and made payments for winning wagers on Thursdays and Fridays at various locations throughout the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas, including Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore; Timpano’s Italian Chop House Restaurant in Rockville, Maryland; Seven Locks Beer and Wine in Rockville; and 15215 Shady Grove in Rockville.
The indictment alleges that Robert Levine deposited about $101,000 into a bank account in 2001; $177,000 in 2002; and transferred $146,000 from the bank account to Sports International 2000 in Dominica from May 2001 to December 2002. The indictment seeks forfeiture of $521,625.91; and personal property of $41,254 recovered from Levine’s residence on January 21, 2004, and $8,466 recovered on January 21, 2004 from the bank account.
The maximum penalty for money laundering is 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to conduct a gambling business and conducting a gambling business is 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The defendants initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt have not been scheduled.
Meyers is the brother of Howard Meyers, age 58, of Rockville, who was indicted on February 15, 2006 for conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business, conducting an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation and Montgomery County Police Department. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Foreman, who is prosecuting the case.