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TRENTON
- Attorney General Stuart Rabner and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that retired NHL hockey star Rick Tocchet
pleaded guilty today to criminal charges
for his role in a multi-million dollar sports
bookmaking enterprise.
Tocchet,
43, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty
today to charges of conspiracy and promoting
gambling, both in the third degree, before
Superior Court Judge Thomas S. Smith Jr.
in Burlington County. The charges are contained
in a criminal accusation filed by the New
Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.
Tocchet
admitted during the hearing that from September
2002 to February 2006, he conspired with
former New Jersey state trooper James J.
Harney and a third man, James A. Ulmer,
to operate an illegal sports betting ring.
The New Jersey State Police Organized Crime
Bureau began investigating the ring in October
2005 when it uncovered information that
Harney was involved in sports bookmaking.
The betting ring was based in South Jersey
and the Philadelphia area but took in millions
of dollars in bets from all over the U.S.,
investigators determined.
"Mr.
Tocchet found the quick profits of sports
bookmaking alluring," said Attorney
General Rabner. "Of course, they also
are illegal. He will now face a sentencing
judge for the consequences of his actions."
Tocchet
admitted during the plea hearing that he
was a partner with Harney in the gambling
operation, sharing in its profits and covering
losses. He admitted, generally, that the
betting ring took in more than five bets
a day totaling more than $1,000, the threshold
for the promoting gambling charge. However,
in pleading guilty to the conspiracy charge
in the accusation, he also admitted specifically
that in a single day, Jan. 1, 2006, he and
Harney accepted approximately 17 bets on
professional football games totaling roughly
$40,000 from one individual.
Judge Smith scheduled Tocchet’s sentencing
for Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. Under New Jersey law,
third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence
of five years in state prison. Third-degree
gambling offenses also carry a criminal
fine of up to $25,000.
"Today’s
guilty plea is a fair and appropriate disposition
for the crimes committed by Mr. Tocchet,"
said Criminal Justice Director Paw.
"I
want to commend the State Police detectives
who built a strong case from this complex
and highly organized illegal sports betting
ring, which over a 40-day period processed
over 1,000 wagers exceeding $1.7 million
on professional and collegiate sporting
events," said Colonel Rick Fuentes,
Superintendent of the State Police.
Supervising
Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades, head
of the Division of Criminal Justice -Organized
Crime & Racketeering Bureau, represented
the Attorney General at today’s plea
hearing.
Tocchet,
who spent more than half of his 18-year
NHL career with the Philadelphia Flyers,
took an indefinite leave of absence from
his position as assistant coach for the
Phoenix Coyotes after charges were filed
by the New Jersey State Police in February
2006.
On
Aug. 3, Harney, 41, of Marlton, pleaded
guilty before Judge Smith to conspiracy
and official misconduct, both in the second
degree, and third-degree promoting gambling.
He faces up to seven years in state prison
and forfeited hundreds of thousands of dollars
in assets.
Ulmer,
42, of Swedesboro, pleaded guilty on Dec.
1 to third-degree charges of conspiracy
and promoting gambling. Ulmer faces a jail
term of up to 364 days under his plea agreement.
Harney
and Ulmer are scheduled to be sentenced
by Judge Smith on June 22.
>> View
the Accusation
(15k pdf) plug-in
As
part of the State Police investigation,
search warrants were executed at a number
of locations and voluminous records of sports
betting were seized, along with computers.
The Division of Criminal Justice employed
the criminal provisions of New Jersey’s
racketeering and money laundering statutes
to seize currency and other proceeds of
the illegal gambling activity.
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