Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Saying he was not going to be "fooled again," a Washington County judge yesterday ordered a local businessman and convicted bookie back to jail for parole violations.
Common Pleas Judge Paul Pozonsky ordered Michael R. "Mickey" Flynn Jr.* to serve his original sentence of five to 23 months in jail for a bookmaking conviction in 2004.
Although Mr. Flynn, 64, was given a minimum of five months for bookmaking, Judge Pozonsky granted his request at the time to modify the sentence to two years' parole. Since then, Judge Pozonsky said, Mr. Flynn has made it "abundantly clear" that he has not reformed his behavior.
"I won't be fooled again," Judge Pozonsky said. "I obviously was fooled in this case."
Mr. Flynn was indicted in federal court last week on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Six firearms, including a semiautomatic assault rifle, were found during a search of Mr. Flynn's home on Jan. 18 by federal and state officials, as part of an ongoing gambling investigation. State police said they also found bookmaking records at the home, including Costa Rican offshore online betting forms. Mr. Flynn's son resides part time in Costa Rica, police said, and is named in some of the documents.
Also seized was $500,000 in cash during searches of Mr. Flynn's home, restaurant business, and safe deposit boxes.
State Trooper Anthony Cornetta said police were led to Mr. Flynn through an investigation of video poker kingpin John "Duffy" Conley, who was convicted in 1995 in an operation that the government said netted him $31.2 million a year in video poker profits.
While investigators were trailing Mr. Conley, Trooper Cornetta said Mr. Flynn was observed meeting and exchanging packages with Mr. Conley outside a Carnegie bank on a weekly basis through November and December.
At a hearing in federal court Tuesday, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Francis X. Caiazza set a $175,000 property bond for Mr. Flynn on the firearms charge. He will remain in federal custody until he posts the bond, at which time he will begin serving the bookmaking sentence.
Judge Pozonsky denied a request by Mr. Flynn's lawyer, Thomas Farrell, for house arrest or a suspended sentence, and said he would not consider parole for Mr. Flynn until he served the minimum sentence. He remains jailed at the Washington County Correctional Facility.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Ahwesh said more bookmaking charges may be forthcoming against Mr. Flynn.
"The investigation is continuing," he said.
Common Pleas Judge Paul Pozonsky ordered Michael R. "Mickey" Flynn Jr.* to serve his original sentence of five to 23 months in jail for a bookmaking conviction in 2004.
Although Mr. Flynn, 64, was given a minimum of five months for bookmaking, Judge Pozonsky granted his request at the time to modify the sentence to two years' parole. Since then, Judge Pozonsky said, Mr. Flynn has made it "abundantly clear" that he has not reformed his behavior.
"I won't be fooled again," Judge Pozonsky said. "I obviously was fooled in this case."
Mr. Flynn was indicted in federal court last week on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Six firearms, including a semiautomatic assault rifle, were found during a search of Mr. Flynn's home on Jan. 18 by federal and state officials, as part of an ongoing gambling investigation. State police said they also found bookmaking records at the home, including Costa Rican offshore online betting forms. Mr. Flynn's son resides part time in Costa Rica, police said, and is named in some of the documents.
Also seized was $500,000 in cash during searches of Mr. Flynn's home, restaurant business, and safe deposit boxes.
State Trooper Anthony Cornetta said police were led to Mr. Flynn through an investigation of video poker kingpin John "Duffy" Conley, who was convicted in 1995 in an operation that the government said netted him $31.2 million a year in video poker profits.
While investigators were trailing Mr. Conley, Trooper Cornetta said Mr. Flynn was observed meeting and exchanging packages with Mr. Conley outside a Carnegie bank on a weekly basis through November and December.
At a hearing in federal court Tuesday, Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Francis X. Caiazza set a $175,000 property bond for Mr. Flynn on the firearms charge. He will remain in federal custody until he posts the bond, at which time he will begin serving the bookmaking sentence.
Judge Pozonsky denied a request by Mr. Flynn's lawyer, Thomas Farrell, for house arrest or a suspended sentence, and said he would not consider parole for Mr. Flynn until he served the minimum sentence. He remains jailed at the Washington County Correctional Facility.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Ahwesh said more bookmaking charges may be forthcoming against Mr. Flynn.
"The investigation is continuing," he said.
