Can't say I find this overly shocking - the DOJ won't want to find themselves in a corner where they have to prove in court that poker is illegal gambling. They've already achieved their main objective in forcing the biggest ipoker operators out of the US market and intimidating the **** out of payment processors. I doubt they care whether Campos gets 30 years or a $50 fine now.

that looks like it lays the ground work to those two to be used against other, AHEM, poker site owners in the future.

Given the original charges and the eventual deal/sentence, it is highly likely he either did or will give up some valuable people/information

Interesting. Vardi's blog states as much:

"Still, the fact that federal prosecutors agreed to let Campos plead to a misdemeanor indicates that they wanted to avoid a trial that could have had wide-reaching consequences and impacted the government’s case against the indicted founders of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker."

Campos and Elie are clearly the pawns in this game.

Im no expert but my gut is telling me you are probably correct.

My brother was sentenced to 4 years in prison. He was charged with aggravated assault causing bodily harm. Short story goes as such. Some guy was drunk and punched a girl in the face in the bar and proceeded to head butt her girlfriend and broke her nose. He stepped in, he's trained in martial arts. He broke the guys arm and ribs, fractured his skull and the guy was in the hospital for numerous months.

He did his first bit of time in a max facility and the rest in minimum. Max is 400 times worse than minimum and its not even close at all. The guys in medium and max dont really give a **** at all. While the guys in minimum for the most part do care and do not want to get sent back to max. You have more freedom in minimum, quite a bit more. So the comparisons of the security levels are extremely different.

Maximum is full of gang violence and youre basically left to fend for youself, where as min its a lot less violent.

That being said, none is a walk in the park. It all sucks.

FYI just to give an example of the differences of freedom between the different levels. In minimum you can actually earn yourself a spot on outside work detail. meaning you can go outside the walls with other "trusted prisoners" and work. There are guards with you and all that but good luck ever thinking about that in max.

A lot of time in max if your brother sister or whoever dies, you wont get out and if you do, youre accompanied by two special sheriffs, chained from your ankles up until your chest. My brother also had to fork out $100 when he first went to max. It was to pay for his body bag in case anything happened to him inside.

So the govt realized that their case isn't as strong as they thought and resort to handing out misdemeanor deals. But this goes as a ✔ in the win column anyway since that's how this ****ing rigged game works. Threaten 30 years, then offer a wrist slap when you're about to get checkmated.

gg no re

As soon as Party Poker paid 100s of millions it set precedent, they should just leave the country.

fyp

Well, the case was strong but they realized that a jury was going to listen to experts give testimony on poker being a game of skill which they could very well lose a battle on, the risk of the USDOJ going to court and losing a case that sets precedent for online poker being legal would be a disaster, so they offered the absolute minimum where they could take a win.

... you mean the ones who will never see the inside of a court because they are in locations where they won't be extradited?

I'm Canadian and only have experience in jail, not prison, but I've always tried to be positive and think that it could be a lot worse. A lot worse.

In Canada you go to prison if you are sentenced to two years plus. Jail is for people sentenced to less than two years or awaiting trial. So you're still mixed with all types of offenders upto murderers, they just aren't convicted yet.

I've always thought three square meals a day, shelter and socializing with up to 40 other people really isn't so bad. At least compared to the lives many people live. Hell, you even get meds and dental care provided. There's silly jailhouse rules to abide by but they all make sense to keep as much cleanliness and privacy and respect as possible.

I'm grateful to be born in a first world country where even worst case scenarios are bearable.

I get the impression that USA jails are much more unpleasant. Sentencing in the States seems to be much harsher as well. No point committing petty crimes at risk of doing hard time.

Everyone values their freedom much differently. I'd gladly forfeit a year of my life for $500k in a Canadian institution. Not so sure if I was arrested in another country. Hahaha

he made a cool pun using quotes from the movie Blow, you nit.

/Thread

shoulda taken trial made it public for our cause, what a bunch of bitches