The forfeiture case involves the seizure of cash being moved through foreign banks to the us for payments from and to Bodog, a well-liked online gambling site.

The Baltimore City Paper has uncovered documents revealing the filing of federal money laundering charges against two men interested by transactions with regards to funds belonging to Bodog.com online casino. Edward Courdy and Michael Garone were charged by federal authorities in a Maryland court, although nor is in custody.

Federal government proceedings have ended in a forfeiture finding against Bodog related bank accounts within the amount of $24 million. Courdy and ZIP Payments had filed a claim against over $9 million of the suspect funds on September 29th, and the similar day, authorities brought the laundering charges.

Maryland is the house site for the case as it was the state wherein an secret agent gambled at Bodog and other online casinos. The forfeiture case involves the seizure of cash being moved through foreign banks to the us for payments from and to Bodog, a well-liked online gambling site.

The forfeiture was filed in April of 2007, after the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act made financial transactions involving online casinos illegal within the United States.

Although Garone and his company, JBL Services, didn't contest the seizure of over $14 million, the laundering charges against both men seem spurred by Courdy's decision to contest the only forfeiture. Department of Justice policy was to persecute executives of Internet casinos that operated within the U.S., without reference to jurisdiction questions.

Authorities have used the specter of ominous felony charges to extract agreements to pay fines, allow forfeitures, or even accept smaller jail sentences, as accused executives seek to offer protection to threatened members of the family. The actions of federal law enforcement has been morally shameful, if not illegal.

Published on October 30, 2008 by A.J.Maldonado

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