Details are still sketchy, but it looks as if David Carruthers, a U.K. citizen and CEO of the U.K.-incorporated, U.K.-traded public company BetOnSports.com, has been detained at a Fort Worth airport while switching flights between the U.K. and Costa Rica. He will now apparently be charged in the U.S. for running a company that’s legal in just about every Western country except America. Reuters reports:
The U.S. Department of Justice said on Monday that BetOnSports was among 11 individuals and four corporations facing various charges of racketeering, conspiracy and fraud.
The founder of BetOnSports, Gary Kaplan, 47, was also charged with 20 felony violations, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest, the Department of Justice added.
“BetOnSports.com and other gambling Web sites operated by Gary Kaplan and his co-defendants offered gamblers in the United States illegal wagering on professional and college football and basketball,” said a copy of the indictment seen by Reuters.
It’s probably worth noting that Carruthers is an outspoken advocate for legalizing online gambling in the U.S. He recently debated Rep. Jim Leach on the issue in the Wall Street Journal. If Carruthers is being held solely because U.S. customers illegally do business with his legal, U.K.-based company, that’s disturbing enough.
But things could get even more interesting.