Judge Rejects Tribe's Casino Proposal
April 5, 2007

A federal judge has refused to approve a settlement agreement between the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and several defendants, including the City of Lima. The Lima News reported that Judge James Carr rejected the settlement and instead proposed dismissing the case and allowing the parties to object to the dismissal until April 16th. When asked about the lawsuits, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann said: "If Indian gaming is ever to exist in the state of Ohio, it will only come by way of the Constitution and state and federal law -- not by sham lawsuits."

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Dog Fighting Ring Busted In Moraine
April 5, 2007

A 14-month investigation into a dog fighting ring resulted in nine arrests and the confiscation of sixty-four dogs, according to a recent article in the Cincinnati Post. Arrests were also made for crimes including gambling, drug trafficking, possession of a firearm and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.

A federal judge ordered the confiscated animals euthanized, claiming that abuse and lethal training made the animals too dangerous to keep.

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Toledo Games Raised "Red Flags" For Gaming Insiders
April 5, 2007

A recent article in the Toledo Blade reports that gambling insiders, including both legal and "underground" bookies, were aware that suspicious activities may have been taking place in association with University of Toledo football games. These announcements come in the wake of "point-shaving" charges against Harvey McDougle, Jr., a player for the University of Toledo's football team. McDougle allegedly took bribes from Ghazi Manni of the Detroit-area. The article reports that FBI surveillance of Manni's telephone conversations led them to McDougle.

According to the article, gaming insiders have been suspicious of the program for some time after bookies noticed an increased volume of wagering on the Toledo games, as well a sudden change in the team's performance against the point spreads. While industry experts were aware that something may have been afoot, there was no hard evidence and so no outright allegations were ever made.

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University of Toledo Athlete Charged in Scheme To Influence Sporting Contests
April 4, 2007

The Akron Beacon Journal recently reported that University of Toledo running back Harvey "Scooter" McDougle, Jr. was arrested Friday for participating in a bribery scheme to influence sporting contests. According to the article, McDougle recruited other Toledo football and basketball players to participate in the scheme, orchestrated by a Michigan man known only as "Gary." University of Toledo athletics director Mike O'Brien says that the university "just found out about [the scandal] Friday." Court documents do not indicate whether the results of any games were actually affected.

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Ohioans Indicted on Gambling, Fraud Charges
April 4, 2007

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that eight Akron-area men were charged in association with mail fraud and charitable bingo scams. According to the article, four individuals submitted false rebate requests to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for cartons of cigarettes that were never sold. This scam allegedly ran from 2000 to 2002 and netted participants more than $800,000.00.

In 2002, a new scheme was developed whereby the same individuals, as well as new participants, opened three instant bingo parlors in Akron. In Ohio, instant bingo must ordinarily be conducted by a charitable organization or a veterans / fraternal organization. The participants allegedly got around this requirement by making illegal donations to charities in exchange for using the charities' bingo licenses, or in one case, obtaining a bingo license in the name of a charity without that charity's permission. According to the article, the bingo scams brought in more than $2,500,000.00

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