It has been reported that David Carruthers, ex-CEO of indicted sports-betting company BetonSports (BoS), has approached the company's former advisors to lobby the U.K. government, the European Union--including the United Kingdom--and members of European Parliament in an effort to use the latest WTO decision as part of his defense.
Carruthers, 10 other individuals and four companies, including BoS, were indicted in July 2006 for conspiracy, racketeering and fraud in connection with taking illegal Internet bets from U.S. citizens.
eGaming Review reported today that Carruthers sent a letter to individuals at former BoS auditors Baker Tilly, which advised the company on its 2004 float, and Evolution Securities Ltd., the company's former broker, asking them to write letters on his behalf to various politicians, including Europe's Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, and Peter Mandelson, European commissioner for external trade.
Carruthers' letter-writing campaign was likely ignited by a ruling handed down by Judge Mary Ann Medler of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, who is presiding over the case against BoS.
Medler ruled on April 25 that based on the March 30 WTO ruling, which said that the U.S. ban on Internet gambling is not compliant with the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services, Carruthers' lawyers, and the lawyers for all defendants in the case, may file supplemental briefings to previously filed motions to dismiss the indictment. However, she stipulated that arguments must be based on the new WTO ruling, not on any past ruling.
Furthermore, on May 4, Medler granted an extension until May 24 on time to file the supplemental briefings regarding the WTO ruling.
Carruthers remains on house arrest in a suburb of St. Louis.
Meanwhile, BoS founder Gary Kaplan, who was apprehended in March, plead not guilty to the charges on Monday. He awaits a detention hearing on May 25.