Internet poker figure strikes deal, faces 15 years in prison

A key figure in the government's crackdown on Internet poker in the United States is facing 15 years in prison after striking a plea deal with federal prosecutors Wednesday.

Nelson Burtnick, of Vancouver, British Columbia, entered his plea before a magistrate judge in U.S. District Court in New York, where five others have already pleaded guilty to similar charges.

Burtnick, 41, was among nearly a dozen people charged in the April 15, 2011, case that shut down U.S. operations of the three largest poker companies, PokerStars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker.

Burtnick, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Ireland, agreed to guilty pleas for charges of conspiracy, bank fraud and money laundering in connection to illegal Internet gambling operations.

His sentencing was set for Dec. 19 and prosecutors indicated they would recommend leniency if Burtnick fully cooperates.

Between December 2006 and April 2011, Burtnick worked for PokerStars and then Full Tilt as director of payments. He worked with third-party payment processors and other executives at the poker companies to deceive banks into unknowingly processing financial transactions, prosecutors said.

The 2006 passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act made it illegal for banks and financial institutions to process payments and disbursements associated with online wagering.

Five of the 11 individuals indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of the "Black Friday" crackdown have since accepted plea bargains with prosecutors.

A sixth, former Full Tilt CEO Raymond Bitar, surrendered to U.S. authorities in July after a 15-month exile in Ireland. He is on house arrest in California after placing a $2.5 million bond and faces life in prison on charges that Full Tilt stole more than $350 million from gamblers in the United States and worldwide.

In August, government prosecutors announced a settlement of the criminal complaint with PokerStars in which the company agreed to forfeit $731 million over the next three years. Some of the settlement will be used to refund money owed to customers of the now-defunct Full Tilt.

PokerStars, which is still operating in legal Internet gaming markets in Europe, acquired Full Tilt's assets and plans to relaunch the website in legal markets as a subsidiary.

Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.
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