Philip Gurian, Money Laundering and Gambling, New York 2013

Four individuals were charged with federal money laundering and gambling felonies in a multi-agency investigation of an international internet gambling operation in New York.

Philip Gurian of Boca Raton, Florida, and Michele Lasso of Delray Beach, Florida, are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Jay Goldman of Lake Worth, Florida, and Alan Gould of Plantation, Florida, are each charged with transmission of wagering information, a crime punishable by up to 2 years in prison.

The four individuals charged with federal felonies were arrested at their homes in Florida and appeared before United States Magistrate Judge William Matthewman in the Southern District of Florida.

Gurian has been detained pending a detention hearing in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, April 15th. Lasso, Gould, and Goldman were ordered released on bond and other pretrial conditions and were directed to appear in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of New York before United States Magistrate Judge Randolph F. Treece on April 22, 2013, at 2:00 p.m.

The charges are the result of a joint investigation initiated by the Albany County Sheriff's Office and joined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and other agencies.

The investigation seized over $1 million in U.S. currency and obtained 15 search warrants in Florida, New Hampshire, and California, as well as a seizure warrant for numerous bank accounts in the Northern District of New York.

'Gambling on sporting events is strictly regulated and, in most cases, prohibited outright under federal and state law,' U.S. Attorney Hartunian said. 'Internet gambling operations may be perceived as offering privacy and anonymity to bookmakers and bettors, but the outstanding cooperative efforts of the federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies who participated in this investigation are shining a spotlight through the electronic mist onto the alleged conduct of these defendants.'

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/arrests-made-internet-gambling-investigation