Trumbull bookmaker sentenced to 18 months in prison

[AussieVamp2]

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - A 55-year-old Trumbull man, accused of running an illegal gambling operation for three decades, is going to spend the next 18 months behind bars.

Leslie Buswell, of Trumbull, also was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. He pleaded guilty in March to two federal charges - structuring financial transactions to evade banking reporting requirements and filing a false federal income tax return for 1995.

U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on Friday also ordered Buswell to be under the court's supervision for three years following his release from prison. During that time, he will not be able o gamble, and must perform 200 hours of community service.

At the sentencing hearing, a federal prosecutor told the court that Buswell has been a sports bookmaker for three decades, and that he had paid a representative of the Gambino Organized Crime Family weekly "tribute" in order to operate as a sports bookmaker.

Buswell replied that being a bookmaker allowed him to be devoted to his four children and volunteer as a youth baseball coach.

[reno]

According to a recent survey, 9 out of 10 BMs chose bookmaking as a profession in order to have more time to devote to their son's youth baseball program.

To those offshore BMs whom I incorrectly accused of being in the biz for the money, my sincerest apologies. I promise to buy you dinner the next time I'm in the Caribbean.

[AussieVamp2]

he must be efficient

the offshore BMs we hear from all work long hours it seems......