Baltimore Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging two gambling businesses and three defendants with conducting an illegal gambling business and money laundering.  The two indictments were returned on April 26, 2011 and unsealed today.  As part of the investigation, 11 bank accounts located in Charlotte, North Carolina; Guam; Panama; Malta; Portugal; and the Netherlands; and domain names associated with 10 internet gambling sites were also seized today.
        The following internet domain names were seized pursuant to court order:
                Bookmaker.com
                2Betsdi.com
                Funtimebingo.com
                Goldenarchcasino.com
                Truepoker.com
                Betmaker.com
                Betgrandesports.com
                Doylesroom.com
                Betehorse.com
                Beted.com.
Anyone who tries to access those web sites will be directed instead to a banner that provides notice that the domain name has been seized by order of the court.  The banners are expected to be posted later today.
        ThrillX Systems, Ltd., d/b/a BetEd; Darren Wright; and David Parchomchuk, both of British Columbia, Canada are charged in one indictment.  K23 Group Financial Services, d/b/a BMX Entertainment; and Ann Marie Puig, age 35, of San Jose, Costa Rica are charged in a second indictment.

        The indictments and seizures were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland  Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge William Winter of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations; Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Sparkman of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Washington, D.C. Field Office; Anne Arundel County Police Chief James Teare, Sr.; and Colonel Terrence Sheridan, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
        “It is illegal for internet gambling enterprises to do business in Maryland, regardless of where the website operator is located,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.  “We cannot allow foreign website operators to flout the law simply because their headquarters are based outside the country.”
        “These indictments are the direct result of impressive undercover investigative work by our agents, along with the close collaboration of our law enforcement partners here in Maryland,” said William Winter, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Baltimore. “The proceeds from illegal Internet gambling are often used to fuel organized crime and support criminal activity. ICE HSI will work diligently to uncover illicit transactions involving these types of financial crimes. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will disrupt and dismantle organizations that commit these crimes, regardless of their location, whether here in the Un