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Federal prosecutors announced in July 2006 that a grand jury had indicted BetonSports.com founder Gary Stephen Kaplan and others over an alleged offshore sports-betting operation that accepted bets from U.S. customers. The indictment was an accusation, not a conviction. Kaplan later pleaded guilty to three federal offenses in 2009 and was sentenced to 51 months in prison.
What did the 2006 indictment allege?
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Missouri returned the 22-count indictment on June 1, 2006. The U.S. Department of Justice announced it on July 17, reporting that 11 individuals and four corporations were charged. Prosecutors identified Kaplan as the founder of BetonSports.com and said he faced 20 felony violations. The DOJ announcement described an alleged sports-bookmaking enterprise that moved from New York to Florida and then offshore, eventually to Costa Rica.
The listed charge categories included violations of the Wire Act, RICO conspiracy, interstate transportation of gambling paraphernalia, interference with the administration of Internal Revenue laws, and tax evasion. These were allegations in the indictment; the DOJ announcement said defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway said in that announcement, “Illegal commercial gambling across state and international borders is a crime.” That was her statement as part of the prosecution announcement, not a court finding.
What happened to Gary Kaplan after the indictment?
Arrest in 2007
Kaplan was arrested in the Dominican Republic on March 28, 2007. The DOJ reported that Dominican authorities sent him to Puerto Rico for an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge, while U.S. authorities sought his transfer to St. Louis to face the charges. The DOJ arrest announcement describes that step in the case.
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Guilty plea in 2009
On August 14, 2009, Kaplan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the RICO statute, conspiring to violate the Wire Wager Act, and violating that Act. He also agreed to forfeit $43,650,000, according to the FBI-hosted release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. The August 2009 case summary reports the plea and forfeiture agreement.
Sentence in November 2009
On November 2, 2009, Kaplan was sentenced to 51 months in prison. The FBI-hosted U.S. Attorney’s Office release gives the sentence date and term. The November 2009 case summary reports the sentencing.
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How was the company’s case different from Kaplan’s?
BetonSports PLC, the corporation, had separate legal milestones. An excerpt from a U.S. House hearing transcript states that the company pleaded guilty to the racketeering-conspiracy count on May 24, 2007, and that a permanent injunction had been entered on November 9, 2006. Those corporate actions are distinct from Kaplan’s individual indictment, plea, and sentence. The House hearing transcript excerpt records those dates; the underlying court records are not described here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was the BetonSports founder convicted?
Kaplan’s case did not end with the indictment alone: DOJ reported that he pleaded guilty to three federal offenses in August 2009, followed by his 51-month sentence in November. The plea and sentence are the relevant individual outcome; they should not be confused with the allegations made when the 2006 indictment was announced.
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