tocchet pleads out

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powdered milkman
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Ex-Flyers star Tocchet guilty in sports bet ring

By George Anastasia
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Former Philadelphia Flyers star Rick Tocchet today pleaded guilty to charges of promoting gambling and conspiracy in a plea bargain that may allow him to avoid prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar illegal sports betting ring.
All other charges against Tocchet, 43, including money laundering, were dropped during a hearing this morning in state Superior Court in Mount Holly, Burlington County.

Maximum punishment for each of the two counts is five years imprisonment. The plea agreement mentions the presumption of "non-incarceration" because Tocchet has no prior criminal record. Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 17.

Tocchet, wearing a blue business suit, white shirt and blue tie, answered "No, Your Honor," to a series of questions about his guilty plea posed by the judge.

Under questioning by his lawyer, Kevin Marino, the ex-hockey star admitted he was a partner in an illegal gambling operation with a man he knew was a state trooper and that he knew it was wrong.

"Did you ever place any bets on professional hockey?" the lawyer asked.

"No," answered Tocchet.

Authorities charged the former right winger, a fan favorite during his two stints with the Flyers, in February 2006 with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy after a months-long state police investigation called "Operation Slapshot."

Ever since, he had been on leave from his job with the Phoenix Coyotes, where he was assistant coach under NHL great Wayne Gretzky.

Authorities alleged that Tocchet played a central role in a national bookmaking operation that they said had accepted wagers on college and professional football and basketball games and catered to clients in professional hockey and Hollywood circles.

Sources have said bettors included Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones, and former Flyer Jeremy Roenick.

Investigators said Tocchet had partnered with State Trooper James Harney of Marlton, who accepted wagers, sometimes as he patrolled the New Jersey Turnpike. Adding to the initial frenzy surrounding the case, authorities suggested that the star-studded operation also had ties - as yet unsubstantiated - to the mob.

Tocchet's attorney had maintained that the charges are absurd, saying as recently as December that his client would be exonerated.

The state, meanwhile, continued to work on its case against Tocchet - with the help of his alleged coconspirators.

Harney and James Ulmer, a Swedesboro man, pleaded guilty late last year in the case and agreed to cooperate with the state investigation in return for lighter punishments.

Harney told a judge that he and Tocchet had been equal partners in the gambling ring, saying that both had taken bets and that Tocchet had covered losses. Harney, who has resigned from the state police, faces up to seven years in prison instead of the more than 20 years he would have faced had he gone to trial.

Ulmer, who admitted he was a low-level bookie and pleaded guilty to third-degree charges of conspiracy and promoting gambling, faces up to 10 years in prison. But prosecutors have said they will recommend six months to a year in a county jail.

The pair have yet to be sentenced.

State police said Harney and Tocchet had met years ago, when Tocchet was a Flyer and Harney a bartender in a popular bar near the sports complex in South Philadelphia. Tocchet played for the Flyers from 1984-92 and from 1999-2002.

State police said the friends had started the gambling operation about five years ago and built it into a multimillion-dollar venture. In 40 days just before the arrests, authorities said, the ring processed $1.7 million in bets.

Authorities have said no bettors will be charged in the case.



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The Rev
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whatever happened to the Wayne Gretzky story here? seemed like it got quickly swept under the rug, I guarantee if Gretzsky was a Barry Bonds/TO type ass-hole...this would be Sportscenter lead story.

just found that strange.
 
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If he was an offshore bookie he would have gone straight to prison, but since he was a former athlete and friend of Gretzky, he will probably get a fine and a slap on the wrist...
 

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Or the fact that he was booking bets with a cop may have something to do with it as well.
 

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this is amazing, comparing this to some of the other events recently, the penalty seems light.
 

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Ulmer, who admitted he was a low-level bookie and pleaded guilty to third-degree charges of conspiracy and promoting gambling, faces up to 10 years in prison. But prosecutors have said they will recommend six months to a year in a county jail.

And Tocchet will get no time?
 
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I know guys who have gotten felonies for bookmaking who were low-level CLERKS in bookmaking offices....I guess lawyers are necessary evils....
 
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whatever happened to the Wayne Gretzky story here? seemed like it got quickly swept under the rug, I guarantee if Gretzsky was a Barry Bonds/TO type ass-hole...this would be Sportscenter lead story.

just found that strange.

Janet-supposedly nothing more than a player, was not charged.

That's the kind of stuff that I like to see :aktion033 .
 

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fvck these cops !

i hate fvckn cops !!!!!

.....most of em r a fvckn disgrace , who r dumber than myself ...can't spell...worser than me .....who the fvck cares what my man rick does for a livin ? this is such a fvckn joke....the justice system playing it's morality !.....go write another ticket you fvckn pig /cop ...make more "legal" money for your township .
 
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i hate fvckn cops !!!!!

.....most of em r a fvckn disgrace , who r dumber than myself ...can't spell...worser than me .....who the fvck cares what my man rick does for a livin ? this is such a fvckn joke....the justice system playing it's morality !.....go write another ticket you fvckn pig /cop ...make more "legal" money for your township .

Kimchee, have you ever tried Valium? I bet you'd like it(and so would we :missingte )
 

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Kimchee, have you ever tried Valium? I bet you'd like it(and so would we :missingte )


its all good tinc, but this shit really touches me personally ...i just hate the overall bs that goes on with the justice system...go after murderers n go fvckn help clean up the environment or somethin...but to go after a bookie ?....give me a fvckn break ....how many doughnuts di u eat this mornin ,pig and i'd love to see all the "perks" they get for bein the "men of the law". Do you know how many Cops play thru bookies???? ...n they r usually the ones that r OK....its these other scumbags with their morality who don't have the balls to try shit or make it themselves that 'cause this farce !
 

powdered milkman
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its all good tinc, but this shit really touches me personally ...i just hate the overall bs that goes on with the justice system...go after murderers n go fvckn help clean up the environment or somethin...but to go after a bookie ?....give me a fvckn break ....how many doughnuts di u eat this mornin ,pig and i'd love to see all the "perks" they get for bein the "men of the law". Do you know how many Cops play thru bookies???? ...n they r usually the ones that r OK....its these other scumbags with their morality who don't have the balls to try shit or make it themselves that 'cause this farce !
me and kimchee on the same page:monsters-
 
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Oh, don't get me wrong-it's definitely all bullshit.

Example...The local cops are going postal this weekend looking for high school graduation parties & underage drinking. Nice job guys, nevermind the f'ing meth dealers\labs that saturate Denver.
 

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Oh, don't get me wrong-it's definitely all bullshit.

Example...The local cops are going postal this weekend looking for high school graduation parties & underage drinking. Nice job guys, nevermind the f'ing meth dealers\labs that saturate Denver.


:toast:
 

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Tocchet Pleads Guilty

i haven't seen this posted anywhere here

i love the part when the cop is taking bets while on traffic patrol lol



<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Tocchet, former NHL player and coach, pleads guilty in gambling case
</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER width="1" height="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=yspwidearticlebody>By GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated Press Writer
May 25, 2007<TABLE style="PADDING-LEFT: 8px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - May 25, 3:18 pm EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (AP) -- The case began loudly in February 2006 when New Jersey authorities announced a former hockey star and a state trooper had been charged with running a gambling ring that had ties to organized crime.
Wayne Gretzky was dragged into it, along with his actress-wife Janet Jones, on the eve of the Turin Olympics. But it was settled with little fanfare Friday as the former player, Rick Tocchet, pleaded guilty to promoting gambling and conspiracy to promote gambling in a plea deal that may spare him jail time.
The case looked much milder at the end than it did 15 months ago, when it appeared it might inflict a serious blow to a sport that was struggling to regain fans after a season-long lockout the year before.
But the worst suspicions were not substantiated. There didn't seem to be mob ties or betting on hockey. No other hockey figures are being charged or will have to testify in a criminal trial.
"I'm sure everyone recalls the manner in which the case was initially announced and described," said Kevin Marino, the defense lawyer for Tocchet. "I think (Friday's) proceeding speaks for itself."

<TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 vspace="5" hspace="10"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>[SIZE=-2]ADVERTISEMENT[/SIZE]
<SCRIPT>var lrec_target="_blank";var lrec_URL=new Array();lrec_URL[1]="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12jfoi7ln/M=570456.10459020.11089975.1414694/D=sports/S=95861798:LREC/_ylt=Akeh8NHX74BQIgies5zzpKwmvLYF/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1180151281/A=4466380/R=0/id=flash/SIG=11nfmhhs1/*http://promo.yahoo.com/att/home.html?.u_vers=attcable";var lrec_fv="clickTAG=javascript:lrec_window(1)";var lrec_swf="http://ads.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/sb/sbc3/20070302_2_82234_300x250_lrec_attswitch.swf";var lrec_altURL="http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12jfoi7ln/M=570456.10459020.11089975.1414694/D=sports/S=95861798:LREC/_ylt=Akeh8NHX74BQIgies5zzpKwmvLYF/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1180151281/A=4466380/R=1/id=altimg/SIG=11nfmhhs1/*http://promo.yahoo.com/att/home.html?.u_vers=attcable";var lrec_altimg="http://ads.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/sb/sbc3/20070302_2_82234_300x250_lrec_attswitch.jpg";var lrec_w=300;var lrec_h=250;</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://us.js2.yimg.com/us.js.yimg.com/a/1-/jscodes/flash6/lrec_20060816.js"></SCRIPT><OBJECT height=250 width=300 classid=clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000>
























<embed src="http://ads.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/a/sb/sbc3/20070302_2_82234_300x250_lrec_attswitch.swf" loop="false" wmode="opaque" quality="high" flashvars="clickTAG=javascript:lrec_window(1)" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" height="250" width="300"></OBJECT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT language=javascript>if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();window.yzq_d['NJ2VA9j8a28-']='&U=13b59ooa2%2fN%3dNJ2VA9j8a28-%2fC%3d570456.10459020.11089975.1414694%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4466380';</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>It was two days after the 2006 Super Bowl when State Police Col. Rick Fuentes announced the charges against Tocchet, Trooper James Harney and a third man, James Ulmer. </P>Fuentes said that during a 40-day stretch that had just ended, they had handled bets totaling $1.7 million from a list of gamblers that included a movie star and other hockey figures.
Quickly, the prospect developed of a trial featuring a cavalcade of hockey players as witnesses. Even Gretzky, hockey's greatest player and a friend of Tocchet's, was caught on an investigative wiretap discussing how his wife could avoid being implicated.
It turned out Jones didn't have much to worry about. Authorities didn't charge her, or any other bettors, because placing bets -- even with a bookmaker -- is not illegal in New Jersey.
While Tocchet was the big name in the case, it became clear in coming months that the corrupt state trooper was the main target for law enforcement.
Even after Tocchet pleaded guilty on Friday, state Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw's most damning words were about Harney, who Paw said took bets while sitting in his patrol car watching traffic.
Harney agreed to help prosecutors in a deal that could get him up to seven years in prison.
Ulmer, who had a lesser role in the bookmaking operation, pleaded guilty later last year. His sentence will be up to a judge, but authorities said they would ask for it to be between six months and a year in jail.
Tocchet, who spent 2,970 minutes -- or the equivalent of more than two days -- in the penalty box during his 22-year NHL career, may not serve any jail time at all.
<TABLE style="PADDING-LEFT: 8px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ysptblbdr2><TABLE class=yspwhitebg cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
<SMALL>AP - May 25, 3:15 pm EDT</SMALL>
More Photos</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Under state law, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. But, as his lawyer emphasized, the third-degree crimes he pleaded guilty to usually do not result in incarceration for people like Tocchet who have had no other brushes with the law.
Authorities would not say whether they would request jail time when he is sentenced on Aug. 17.
In a court proceeding that lasted only a few minutes on Friday, Tocchet did not speak except to answer yes or no to questions.
When asked by Marino if he ever bet on professional hockey, Tocchet said "No."
Later, outside the courthouse, Marino said that by calling the case "Operation Slapshot," the state police were suggesting it involved betting on hockey.
"(Friday's) proceeding makes clear this was not an organized crime hockey ring because there was no betting of any kind on professional hockey," Marino said.
A remaining question in the case is what it means for Tocchet's hockey future.
He has been on indefinite leave from his job as Gretzky's top assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes since he was charged.
Neither Coyotes nor NHL officials have decided whether to allow a man who played in 1,144 regular-season games, scoring 440 goals and 952 points and who in 145 playoff games scored 52 goals and 112 points, to return.
The NHL is still looking into the case, and spokesman Frank Brown said it's not clear when that investigation will be completed.
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