[CQ-Contest] Contesters detained?

[Scott Robbins]

Saw this tidbit in today's Knoxville Post-Gazette

TWO ARRESTED IN GAMBLING PROBE

     MIAMI (AP) - U.S. Customs officials announced the arrest 
late yesterday of two individuals in conjunction with an FBI 
probe into off-shore Internet sports gambling.
     Acting on an anonymous tip, Customs officials detained
John T. Mikalowski, 47, of Schaumburg, IL., and Martin Latham, 
40, of Rockford, IL., upon their arrival in Miami en route
to Chicago from Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.
     The two men were transporting a large quantity of "ham"
radio and computer equipment at the time of their arrest. 
U.S. Customs spokesman Robert Faber said circuitry inside one
piece of radio equipment had been removed and replaced with
$374,000 in U.S. currency, computer disks, and computer
printouts indicating gambling activity.  Several laptop
computers were also seized.
     Stephen Walsh, attorney for the two Illinois men, said
in a telephone interview that Mikalowski and Latham were
returning to the Chicago area after participating in an
international amateur radio operator competition the
weekend of March 27.
     The two men are free on $100,000 bond after being
arraigned in Federal District Court in Miami on tax evasion 
and money laundering charges.
     Explosive growth of the Internet has included gaming
web sites that invite wagering on professional sports events.
Many of these on-line businesses are operated by Americans from 
Caribbean islands in an effort to circumvent U.S. gaming and 
tax regulations.
     FBI spokesmen declined to comment, indicating the
matter is still under investigation. 


     


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