Twenty-four residents, including the Honolulu car salesman Terrence Ching (40), have been charged or arrested on charges of offshore online betting, Hawaii News Now reports.
On Friday, Ching allegedly pleaded guilty to making illegal bets and filing a false tax return after Federal Authorities had seized around $60 632 from Ching's bank account and an additional $330 483 in cash from his home together with seven firearms, gold, platinum and diamond jewellery and $245 000 in markers.
Acting as a go-between, Ching has handled million-dollar worth bets placed on internet gambling sites operated from Costa Rica.
According to the legal representatives of the charged parties, the clients were not aware that online betting activities were illegal.
"This is something that people in Hawaii have been doing in Hawaii for a very long time .. forever. It includes business people, doctors, law enforcement, sales people, all kinds of people," said lawyer Megan Kau. "Nobody would have guessed that it would come to something like this."
Ching's sentencing is expected in June when the courts will issue rulings on a possible maximum sentence of up to two years for the wagering charge and three years for the tax evasion charge.
The plea deal offered by Federal Prosecutor Larry Butrick to Ching includes the latter's cooperation in future investigations of the online gambling sites named malibusport and betislandsports.
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