Bail Requirement Delays Carruthers Release

Published: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

CARRUTHERS RELEASE HAMPERED BY BAIL REQUIREMENT

Dedicated phone line has to be installed

Associated Press reports that Tuesday night ex-BetonSports CEO David Carruthers remained in a St. Louis jail because a dedicated phone line had not been installed in his new local residence as required by the bail conditions.

Carruther's lawyer, Scott Rosenblum revealed late Tuesday that Carruthers wasn't released because a dedicated telephone line must be installed in the residence where Carruthers' will stay in St. Louis. All other conditions had been met, including the payment of $1 million, Rosenblum said.

Other conditions apparently include e-tagging and a requirement to remain within the St. Louis city precincts until his trial on allegations contained in a 22 count indictment that includes racketeering and fraud charges.

Carruthers was arrested nearly a month ago whilst in transit through Fort Worth on his way to Costa Rica. He is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway in St. Louis. Carruthers was chief executive of the company until shortly after his arrest, when he was fired.

The case is one of the largest U.S. prosecutions of an online gambling company and has caused BetOnSports to close all of its U.S.-focused operations.

Federal prosecutors insisted that none of Carruthers' bond money come from the treasury of BetOnSports, Rosenblum said. He wouldn't say how Carruther's came up with the full payment, but said all the money was raised through legal means.

Rosenblum said he now expected Carruthers to be released Wednesday.

Hanaway said she will continue to prosecute the case against BetOnSports regardless of the company's decision to close its offices and quit accepting U.S.-based bets. She said the move does not absolve the company from taking illegal bets in the past.