California Man Pleads Guilty in Illegal Bookmaking Case

A professional poker player from Long Beach, California, recently admitted to money laundering and running an illegal bookmaking business. The case that raises eyebrows involves Damien LeForbes, who recently signed an agreement to plead guilty to money laundering and operating an illegal bookmaking business in Las Vegas, as well as California.

What’s known so far is that LeForbes allegedly operated an illegal sportsbook between January 2021 and December 2023. Besides taking wagers in Clark County, Nevada, he allegedly accepted wagers in Orange County and Los Angeles County in California.

The elaborate illegal gambling ring involved LeForbes hiring agents that helped with the process of recruiting new bettors. In exchange for their services, the agents received a percentage of the losses of the clients they recruited.

It is suspected that the poker pro collaborated with casino hosts who agreed to responsibilities as agents. The payments to and from the illegal operation were made through a shell company called DJL. LeForbes allegedly also used cash, cryptocurrency and different online payment service portals such as PayPal. According to the professional poker player’s LinkedIn profile, he holds the role of president at DJL.

Besides cryptocurrency and payment service providers like PayPal, a land-based casino played an important role in LeForbes’ illegal betting operation.

The name of the Las Vegas casino has not been disclosed in the court documents and it is referred to as Casino A.

Millions of Dollars Wagered through a Las Vegas Casino

What’s concerning is the sum that was wagered through Casino A. Per the court documents, LeForbes is suspected of betting more than $148 million through the Las Vegas-based casino.

Notably, he allegedly cashed a minimum of 17 personal checks at Casino A with a value of more than $9 million between October 2021 and December 2023. One of the hefty checks that was cashed in was a single check for $1 million from April 2023.

A recent report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal suggests that LeForbes was a frequent player at Resorts World Las Vegas. This means that there is a possibility that Resorts World is the casino referred to in court documents as Casino A.

While LeForbes faces troubles on his own, Resorts World is also subject to scrutiny. Earlier this month, the casino appeared in the sights of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The gambling regulator argued that Resorts World allowed gamblers with suspected ties to illegal gambling activities.

While LeForbes may have been one of those gamblers, so was Matthew Bowyer, the illegal bookie who accepted wagers from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

In light of the guilty plea, LeForbes may face a tough penalty. If found guilty, the maximum penalty the California man can receive includes a prison sentence of up to 15 years along with three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000.