Billy Walters Case

[reno]

There's an article on the front page of today's ""Las Vegas Review Journal" about the LV police illegally tapping the phone of Walters' attorneys. Well, I know a guy who listened to the tape, and sure enough, the cops did indeed do that. Hey, aren't law enforcement agencies supposed to adhere to the law?

Anyway, I hope this typical police screw-up leads to charges being dismissed against Walters and allows the cops to do what they do best--which is dunking donuts in their coffee at the local Winchell's.

[Jeff]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...510216392.html

[Segundo]

Reno, this is serious stuff. I also heard that Walters offered to testify in front of the grand jury against him, his request was denied. I can't believe this! Any prosecutorial body would love to get a defendant in front of a grand jury without his lawyer. Not in this case because they realized that Walters knows what he is talking about and that he did nothing illegal.

I read all 850 pages of the grand jury testimony and guess what? It had nothing to do with Walters betting on sports. 400 pages dealt with New York City police detectives educating the grand jury as to what illegal bookmaking is.

Here are my notes from the transcript:
The AG Thompson lied at least 5 times outright to the grand jury and anytime a juror would push him as to what did Walters do that was illegal he would call for a break and then bring in an expert to explain illegal bookmaking in NYC. It got so off the subject that the jurors were asking questions like "how do bookmakers in NYC pay people? Are they mobsters? What crimes have they committed and why were they not put in jail if you thought that they did something wrong?"

It gets better. One juror asked "if he was trying to hide his sports betting then why was he so open about it? Why did he pay his taxes and have his money counted in front of a camera before put into the safe deposit box if he thought he was doing something wrong? Upon hearing this the AG called for a break and never answered the jurors' question.

He says that Walters is guilty of being in the business of betting and wagering but he never defines this. You want to know why? Because there exists no definition or interpretation of this phraseology anywhere. It's assumed that this term has only to do with bookmakers as a result of Robert Kennedy in the 60's tryng to rid the country of organized crime. Now they are trying to apply it to people who bet. What a joke.

I quote the US Dept of Justice- "Since 1961, 18 U.S.C. 1084 has targeted only individuals in the business of betting or wagering in order to cover professional lay-off bettors, but NOT end bettors". They also admit that there is no definition of a person involved in the "bus. of betting or wagering" and go on to say that it "requires the sale of a product or service for a fee involving third parties (ie. customers and clients, or the performance of a function which is an integral part of such business)".

If this does go to trial Walters will destroy them. He did everything as much as he could by the book, just because Steve Wynn does not like him look what happens.

By the way, the info I just quoted here was from a Dept. of Justice letter to the US Senate in 1998, I will be forwarding a copy of this to Walters' lawyers just in case they don't have it.

I think bsky2 also might have some input on this topic.

[Cons]

Reno, your phones's tapped too. So is everyone elses. Say the word "bomb" and I can guarantee you that the call gets taped and that someone then listens to it.

So be careful. Faxes, phones, or the internet are not secure for any of us. The European Union has been debating this recently because the UK and the US (in conjunction with a few more countries countries: Australia, Canada, Norway) work together on this global surveillance network. It seems the UK is working closer with the US than other Euro nations. Nobody seems to care that it's illegal to scan communications worldwide, and the UK and US have been doing this for years.

[This message has been edited by Cons (edited 05-05-2000).]

[AussieVamp2]

so seeing local calls in the US are free, you could ring up random numbers by computer and get your computer to say 'bomb'

and make them so busy you will get some more listeners a job?

[Segundo]

Well well, looks like Segundo should be put on the Walters' defense team. I hit this one right on the head guys. I hope Walters kicks their butts the fourth time because they are not going to stop at three.

[AussieVamp2]

and that Carnivore stuff that has come to light recently is a bit of a worry

[Geekinstein]

Goodness, sounds like everyone here believes the movie "Enemy of the State" is state of the art. I doubt that Feds have the time or the people to big brother everyone or even a small fraction of everyone.

Walters, on the other hand has serious enemies and they vector on him.

[reno]

Walters does have serious enemies. I recently had dinner with a Vegas bookie who is now going to be running an offshore book, and he claims that Walters screwed him out of a lot of money. The bookie was considering the possibility of presenting info that he had on Walters to the Feds.

[Segundo]

Ahhh, the famous "info" threat. What could it be, that he bets and pays his taxes? We have all heard the rumors that BW has a Federal informant number but that cold be a rumor started by someone who he competes with. Let's face it, the guy is good at what he does and there are a lot of jealous people out there that wish they could be as successful as he is at sports gambling.

[Ronbets]

Something's wrong Segundo, I agree with you. BW has beaten casinos at their games(table inc.). He's buried BMs and followers. This man gives more to charity than probably all of us combined in this forum.

In this shady business, enemies are often created by being on the opposite sides of the figure sheet. We don't have to like him, but should respect his conquests.

[Railbird]

He makes a nice golf course too.yes the world is full of jealous rats,and no one likes to see people lose more than geeky da's and the pigs.

[freak]

WHERE’$ THE BEEF?

"Right now, the beef ($2 million) is parked in an interest-bearing bank account. But," said a City Hall in-the-knowster, "it will soon be in Billy Walters’ kick, where it came from."

The loot was gobbled-up by police. Walters and his group were busted by the police nearly four years ago. He was charged with money laundering and illegal bookmaking. It went to court three times. Last week a judge dismissed the case again. It seems as if the never-say-die Deputy Attorney General David Thompson may have to say die now that two judges have tossed him out of the game in three trials.

Walters never gave up. He probably could have settled by giving up part of the booty. No dice . . . Not even for a nickel.

Walters: "Why should I? It’s my money, I did nothing wrong and why should I settle for anything but 100% return?"

With the score at 3-0, it figures that Billy, the well-known Las Vegas golf course developer and gambler, will win his bet — $2 million-plus. So it cost millions of dollars for both sides. Who cares? Billy stood tall.

[Ronbets]

Nice article freak, but your last paragraph has a couple of holes. Assistant AG David Thompson(no relation to drugged out NCST star) might regroup and attempt different charges on the BW crew. Nevada's using unlimited resources from our tax dollars for this frivilous pursuit. The coffer is a bottomless money pit at his disposal. I'm sure BW's attorney Wright doesn't come cheap. I think if we applied "English Law" here, things might have unfolded differently.