Gambling boss handed two-year prison term
David Hair also ordered to pay $3-million fine after 2013 raid shut down illegal operation
The head of a multimillion-dollar illegal sports gambling operation managed a broad smile in University Avenue court Wednesday despite being sentenced to two years in prison and fined $3 million.
The reaction by David Hair, 50, came as a loud rooster-crowing sound interrupted his sentencing for running Platinum Sports Book, an online gambling enterprise that grossed more than $100 million in five years before it was shut down on Super Bowl Sunday in February 2013.
“It’s not a real rooster,” Justice John McMahon said of what seemed to be the sounds coming from a cellphone, before resuming sentencing, which included a $3-million fine.
The justice noted that the Crown attorney Harry Poon and defence lawyer David Bayliss agreed to the sentence and fine, which spared the court a four- to six-month trial.
Hair, who wore a dark blue Adidas track suit to court, presented court with a cheque for $2 million. He has three years to pay the remaining million dollars, or spend another year in prison after pleading guilty to bookmaking for a criminal organization.
Asked if he had any words for the court, Hair replied: “No, thank you.”
The judge noted that Hair has complied with conditions of his $400,000 bail over the past five years.
Platinum took bets across Southern Ontario on a variety of sports, including horse racing, college football and the NFL.
Five years ago, police said they found $680,000 in bundled cash in his London, Ont., home. The money was believed to be revenues from Platinum SB.
Police also found a special BlackBerry phone called a “Zapper” in his home, which was programmed to destroy Platinum communications to avoid detection by police.
An agreed statement of facts described Hair as “a leading member of the upper-echelon management group” of Platinum SB, which was run through computers in Costa Rica.
Poon told court last month that Platinum had been in operation since as early as 2004. It employed hundreds of bookies or agents across Canada, who signed up thousands of bettors.
Hair was one of 31people arrested at a posh Super Bowl party at a Mark- ham banquet hall in February 2013 held for more than 2,000 gamblers.
The 2013 Platinum Super Bowl party cost $100,000 to stage and featured door prizes such as jetskis and bigscreen TVs.
Also arrested at the time was Billy Miller, former president of the London and Toronto North chapters of the Hells Angels, who moved to the Dominican Republic.
Court heard he was also involved in a cigar business there.
Miller was sentenced to15 months in custody in September.
Rob Barletta, president of the London, Ont., Hells Angels was charged with committing a crime for a criminal organization and bookmaking, but those charges were withdrawn.
Agovernment audit suggested Platinum grossed more than $103 million between 2009 and 2013.
Court earlier heard that alternate gambling websites were set up almost immediately after the Platinum sites were disabled.
The agreed statement of facts stated that Platinum bookies generally didn’t need to resort to muscle to collect debts.
“While delinquent debts could be collected by intimidation, the 18month long investigation revealed little evidence of intimidation,” the court document stated.