ST. LOUIS, April 2 (UPI) -- The chief executive officer of an online gambling company agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges in exchange for a reduced sentence, a U.S. attorney says.
U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway said David Carruthers, 51, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in order to avoid up to 20 years in prison should he have been convicted, the St. Louis (Mo.) Post-Dispatch said Thursday.
As part of Carruthers' plea in a federal court in St. Louis, the BetonSports executive will assist in the prosecution of the gambling company's other top officials.
The executive's deal may require Carruthers to return some of the $16 million BetonSports customers lost when the online gaming company closed, the Post-Dispatch said.
Prosecutors agreed to drop seven additional charges against Carruthers as part of his plea deal, which could result in him serving no more than 33 months in prison.
Top BetonSports executives, including company founder Gary Kaplan, were indicted on charges ranging from racketeering to fraud in 2006.
