Online Gambling Site Operator Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Onlinecasino.org News | 01.05.2007 | 07:54:20 | Views: 795 | Casino News

The operator of two online gambling sites in Texas has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, as well as being ordered to pay close to $1 million in restitution for scamming dozens of customers.

Robert Eon Marshall was the founder and president of Fort Worth-based ECM Group, and operated WorldPokerParty.com and DoubleYourMoneyCasino.com, which linked to two other online gambling sites.

Marshall, 58, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and was sentenced on Friday.

Marshall said in a statement that he intends to develop another gambling website, even though he sold ownership in his company for $10,000 per unit, but authorities said the program generated less than $1,000 in revenue for Marshall's company.

Prosecutors said that in 2003 Marshall told investors that his company was extremely successful and mailed false earnings reports so they would invest more. At least 41 people, mostly elderly victims using retirement money, lost more than $900,000.

The charges for this case were filed on the base of mail fraud and false reports, and not on the online casino and online poker affiliation. OGPaper will continue the investigation on this case, and will report new information as it comes.

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