'Not guilty' pleas open BetonSports trial

Several figures indicted in the US action against the online gambling company BetonSports pleaded not guilty on charges of racketeering and fraud today, while David Carruthers, the dismissed chief executive, did not appear in court as originally scheduled.

The US attorney's office in St Louis, Missouri, said the timing of Mr Carruthers' bail hearing had been changed.

The 48-year-old Scotsman was arrested by the FBI just over a week ago while changing planes in Dallas, Texas, on his way from London to Costa Rica, where BetonSports is based.

Along with the company founder, the maverick bookie Gary Kaplan, and nine others he faces charges of fraudulently taking bets from US citizens by telephone and the internet and failing to pay excise taxes.

Last week, Mr Carruthers was removed as the chief executive and from the company board by BetonSports which said he could not fulfil his duties while in custody.

BetonSports said it would foot Mr Carruthers' legal bill, but pointed out that its insurance would pay for what are likely to be substantial legal costs.

Of those indicted, Mr Kaplan's siblings, Neil Kaplan and Lori Kaplan-Multz, along with Tim Brown, William H Lenis, William L Lenis, Manny Lenis and Monica Lenis all entered not guilty pleas yesterday and were released on bond.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Gary Kaplan, but he remains at large.

A separate hearing was scheduled to deal with the restraining order granted to federal authorities to stop BetonSports from accepting bets from US gamblers and to force it to return deposits to US customers.

It has emerged that the firm shared an office until spring last year with a company US prosecutors allege is linked to a New York Mafia family.

Safe Deposit Sports was allegedly part of an illegal gambling ring that made millions for the Bonnano mob family and used BetonSports' Costa Rica office.

A spokeswoman for BetonSports said SDS was a sub-tenant, but stressed, as soon as Mr Carruthers and his team learnt of the allegations of a mob link, they asked SDS to move out.

She said BetonSports provided telephone and internet access to SDS and that both firms shared a solicitor.

SDS was evicted in May last year after it was named in an indictment by US authorities against 36 individuals, who were charged with running the gambling ring.

- INDEPENDENT