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Date: 07-23-2021
Case Style:
Case Number: 1:20-cr-00111
Judge: Virginia M. Kendall
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Cook County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Chicago, Illinois criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with participating in an illegal gambling business that involved wagers on professional and collegiate sporting events.
NICHOLAS STELLA, 43, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of conspiring to conduct an illegal gambling business.
The sentence was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; and Donald "Trey" Eakins, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terry Kinney and Ankur Srivastava.
The FBI’s Integrity in Sport and Gaming Initiative (ISG) is designed to tackle illegal sports gambling and combat threats of influence from criminal enterprises.
Stella stated in a plea agreement that from 2016 to 2019 he conspired with bookmaker VINCENT DELGIUDICE, also known as “Uncle Mick,” and others to accept wagers on the outcome of professional and collegiate sporting events. Stella admitted in the plea agreement that he recruited gamblers for Delgiudice’s operation and regularly met with them to pay out winnings or collect on losses. During the conspiracy, Stella communicated with Delgiudice via text messaging and phone calls, the plea agreement states. In a text exchange in December 2018, Stella stated to Delgiudice, “Between my two big losers in Minnesota, they’ve dumped 73k,” according to the plea agreement. In another text exchange cited in the plea agreement, Stella asked DelGiudice shortly before the 2019 Super Bowl to contact the gamblers directly in order to “settle up” after the game.
Delgiudice pleaded guilty earlier this year to a money laundering charge and is awaiting sentencing.
CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES
(1)
ILLEGAL GAMBLING
(2)
MONEY LAUNDERING - POSTAL, INTERSTATE WIRE, RADIO, ETC.
(3)
Outcome: U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall today sentenced Stella to 15 months in federal prison.
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Virginia M. Kendall as to Nicholas Stella. On the Court's own Motion, Sentencing set for 7/22/2021 is reset for 11:00 AM (PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE ONLY) which will proceed via Video Conference. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing. The call-in number is 1-650-479-3207 and the call-in Access Code is 180 698 4009. Any party calling in is reminded to please mute their phones/devices. Counsel of record will receive an email invitation prior to the start of the video hearing with instructions to join the video conference. Mailed notice (lk, ) (Entered: 07/21/2021)
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: