World Sports Exchange President Jay Cohen, found guilty in February on counts of violating the Wire Wager Act and conspiracy, will have to wait several more weeks for his sentencing. Originally slotted for May 25 and then postponed to June 29, Cohen's sentencing is now scheduled for August 9 at 4 p.m.
According to a spokesperson for Benjamin Brafman, Cohen's attorney, both the government and Cohen sought the extension. Within the next few weeks, Brafman will motion for a downward departure from the state's sentencing guidelines, according to the spokesperson, "based on the extraordinary circumstances of this case." In layman's terms, the defense is asking the judge to take it easy on Cohen.
Following the motion, the government will be given an opportunity to respond, and the defense will be given the opportunity to reply to the response.
Both sides had hoped to get an earlier sentencing date, however, Judge Thomas Griesa, who heard the case, will not be sitting during the month of July.
Cohen, currently out on bail, was one of 21 offshore bookmakers indicted in 1998 in the Southern District of New York for violating the Wire Wager Act of 1961, a law that prohibits the transmission of sports wagers through a wire communication facility across state or international borders. Some of the accused were acquitted, a few entered a guilty plea and the rest remain fugitives. Cohen is the first person to go before a jury in the U.S. for a crime directly involving Internet betting.