Thursday, January 18, 2007
Michael Devlin $1 Mil Bond: John Lefebvre $5 Mil Bond
Michael Devlin is being charged with counts of kidnapping young boys. John Lefebvre is being charged with running a third party money transfer service similar to that of PayPal that helped facilitate online gambling transactions to and from US citizens.
Michael Devlin is being held on a $1 million bond, Lefebrvre is being held on a $5 million bond.
"A 5 million dollar bond for someone who never killed anybody. Amazing!" posted one angry online gambler on the MajorWager posting forums.
Lefebrvre's "crime" it seems related to his company's willingness to transfer monies for the purpose of playing poker over the internet and betting on the Super Bowl via the company he founded, NETeller. News flash: Very few people do not bet on the Super Bowl and poker programs (most of which have been sponsored by internet poker rooms) are among the highest rated shows on television.
Had Lefebrvre's company focused exclusively on monies transferred exclusively for the purpose of betting horses over the Internet, he might not be facing a $5 mil bond today. The US government ensured the passage of a law to make online horse racing legal by attaching the measure to a "Port Security" act.
John Lefebvre's alleged crime is one of money laundering, though he has not maintained an active role in the company since the start of the US Justice Department's investigation.
Michael Devlin is now being charged with brandishing a handgun during his kidnapping then 11-year old Shawn Hornbeck. He held the boy just over 4 years.
A similar case against payment processor, PayPal, resulted in the forfeiture of millions of dollars and a promise not to conduct business with online gambling entities. That matter was brought up by then New York Attorney General, Elliott Spitzer, a staunch opponent of internet wagering. The now Governor of New York did not see fit to have PayPal's executives locked behind bars held on a $5 million bond.
The company Lefebrvre founded trades publicly on the London Stock Exchange. Nearly every other country - with the exception of the US - view NETeller as a legal enterprise, certainly the United Kingdom does. Earnings reports show NETeller has taken in billions of dollars over the past few years. Perhaps the US government believed that $1 million is a drop in the bucket for Lefebrvre compared to say, Michael Devlin. Neither men have been able to make their bond as of Thursday morning. Assuming both do make their bond, we pose the question: Which of the two men would you want as your neighbor while they await trial?
If you were to ask that question of the prosecutors assigned to the Lefebrvre case, the sad truth is that they would probably respond "Michael Devlin". We at Gambling911.com would bet the farm that less than 5% of Americans would want Devlin living next store to them when the other option is Lefebrvre (but of course this is not a bet on horses, so this is just a hypothetical).
And why wouldn't you want Lefebrvre as part of your community while he awaits trial?
Other than playing his guitar and singing folk songs into the wee hours of the morning, you don't have to worry about Lefebrvre snatching up your 11-year old from the bus stop. "Friends said his (John Lefebrvre's) passions were giving away money from his huge fortune to worthy causes like the work of the Dalai Lama," someone close to the man told Doug Ward of the Vancouver Sun.
Ward writes:
Just over a decade ago, Lefebvre quit his Calgary law practice to busk in that city's transit stations, living off the change that landed in his guitar case, Ward writes in his Sun piece."A few years later, it was Lefebvre who was handing out money: Millions of dollars for projects promoting environmental protection, social justice, the arts and a variety of causes.'There's a lot of irony in that. A lot of irony and I don't think it was lost on him," said Hoggan, president of Hoggan and Associates, referring to his friend's amazing shift from busker to philanthropist.'He's generous in a very impressive way. He has a generosity for people who are marginalized and for issues that are marginalized.'"Lefebvre donated $170,000 to the centre-left Vision Vancouver's campaign in the 2005 municipal election."
Lebebvre may have founded a multi-billion dollar cash processing service similar to that of PayPal but gamblers also have something to fear if they reside in the state of Washington.
Last year, that state was the first to make betting over the internet a Class C felony.
That's right folks! If you live in Washington State and happened to be caught last weekend betting the Seattle Seahawks over the Web, you'd potentially be facing the same sentence as....well, Michael Devlin. Betting online in Washington State carries with it the same penalties as those imposed upon first time offender child molesters.
Michael Devlin is being charged with counts of kidnapping young boys. John Lefebvre is being charged with running a third party money transfer service similar to that of PayPal that helped facilitate online gambling transactions to and from US citizens.
Michael Devlin is being held on a $1 million bond, Lefebrvre is being held on a $5 million bond.
"A 5 million dollar bond for someone who never killed anybody. Amazing!" posted one angry online gambler on the MajorWager posting forums.
Lefebrvre's "crime" it seems related to his company's willingness to transfer monies for the purpose of playing poker over the internet and betting on the Super Bowl via the company he founded, NETeller. News flash: Very few people do not bet on the Super Bowl and poker programs (most of which have been sponsored by internet poker rooms) are among the highest rated shows on television.
Had Lefebrvre's company focused exclusively on monies transferred exclusively for the purpose of betting horses over the Internet, he might not be facing a $5 mil bond today. The US government ensured the passage of a law to make online horse racing legal by attaching the measure to a "Port Security" act.
John Lefebvre's alleged crime is one of money laundering, though he has not maintained an active role in the company since the start of the US Justice Department's investigation.
Michael Devlin is now being charged with brandishing a handgun during his kidnapping then 11-year old Shawn Hornbeck. He held the boy just over 4 years.
A similar case against payment processor, PayPal, resulted in the forfeiture of millions of dollars and a promise not to conduct business with online gambling entities. That matter was brought up by then New York Attorney General, Elliott Spitzer, a staunch opponent of internet wagering. The now Governor of New York did not see fit to have PayPal's executives locked behind bars held on a $5 million bond.
The company Lefebrvre founded trades publicly on the London Stock Exchange. Nearly every other country - with the exception of the US - view NETeller as a legal enterprise, certainly the United Kingdom does. Earnings reports show NETeller has taken in billions of dollars over the past few years. Perhaps the US government believed that $1 million is a drop in the bucket for Lefebrvre compared to say, Michael Devlin. Neither men have been able to make their bond as of Thursday morning. Assuming both do make their bond, we pose the question: Which of the two men would you want as your neighbor while they await trial?
If you were to ask that question of the prosecutors assigned to the Lefebrvre case, the sad truth is that they would probably respond "Michael Devlin". We at Gambling911.com would bet the farm that less than 5% of Americans would want Devlin living next store to them when the other option is Lefebrvre (but of course this is not a bet on horses, so this is just a hypothetical).
And why wouldn't you want Lefebrvre as part of your community while he awaits trial?
Other than playing his guitar and singing folk songs into the wee hours of the morning, you don't have to worry about Lefebrvre snatching up your 11-year old from the bus stop. "Friends said his (John Lefebrvre's) passions were giving away money from his huge fortune to worthy causes like the work of the Dalai Lama," someone close to the man told Doug Ward of the Vancouver Sun.
Ward writes:
Just over a decade ago, Lefebvre quit his Calgary law practice to busk in that city's transit stations, living off the change that landed in his guitar case, Ward writes in his Sun piece."A few years later, it was Lefebvre who was handing out money: Millions of dollars for projects promoting environmental protection, social justice, the arts and a variety of causes.'There's a lot of irony in that. A lot of irony and I don't think it was lost on him," said Hoggan, president of Hoggan and Associates, referring to his friend's amazing shift from busker to philanthropist.'He's generous in a very impressive way. He has a generosity for people who are marginalized and for issues that are marginalized.'"Lefebvre donated $170,000 to the centre-left Vision Vancouver's campaign in the 2005 municipal election."
Lebebvre may have founded a multi-billion dollar cash processing service similar to that of PayPal but gamblers also have something to fear if they reside in the state of Washington.
Last year, that state was the first to make betting over the internet a Class C felony.
That's right folks! If you live in Washington State and happened to be caught last weekend betting the Seattle Seahawks over the Web, you'd potentially be facing the same sentence as....well, Michael Devlin. Betting online in Washington State carries with it the same penalties as those imposed upon first time offender child molesters.
// posted by MB @ ---- ---- 7:16 AM 
