NTRA has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow, and the US Attorney\'s Office has issued a Press Advisory which indicates that a court proceeding in the \"continuing investigation\" into bet fixing at the BC & other races will take place tomorrow at 9am before Mag Judge Lisa Smith.
Chris Harn copped a plea this morning, pled guilty and agreed to testify against the other 2.
People holding the 5 of 6 tickets can take heart.
From the Bloodhorse website:
Guilty Plea from One of Three Suspects in Ultra Pick 6 Case
by The Associated Press
Date Posted: 11/20/02 1:35:30 PM
Last Updated: 11/20/02 1:44:05 PM
Former Autotote employee Chris Harn.
Photo: Associated Press
One of three men charged with manipulating computerized bets worth $3 million in last month\'s Breeders\' Cup pleaded guilty Wednesday to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
Chris Harn of Newark, Del., implicated two co-defendant college buddies in saying he had \"placed a bet and later modified it so it would win.\"
By manipulating the wager so that a friend picked the winners of six straight races, the 29-year-old computer programmer admitted assuring the huge payoff. Harn was fired Oct. 30 from Autotote, the company that processed the computerized bets on the Breeders\' Cup and other races.
As part of the plea, Harn also acknowledged manipulating bets that won more than $100,000 on earlier races that served as a \"dry run\" for the Breeders\' Cup bet, and admitted working another scam where he created duplicates of uncashed winning tickets and collected the cash.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith said Harn could face up to 25 years in prison, but added that the government had reached an understanding that would point to a much lighter sentence.
Harn was allowed to remain free on $200,000 bond pending his Feb. 19 sentencing, where Smith indicated he could be ordered to make $280,000 in restitution.
His two co-defendants were both due back in court Dec. 11.
Harn, Derrick Davis, of Baltimore, and Glen DaSilva, of New York, were charged last week with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a prison term of up to five years.
All three are former Drexel University fraternity brothers, members of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
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What nonsense. The DA should be tarred and feathered. The mastermind of this whole deal will get a slap on the wrist! He admits to creating dupes of uncashed tickets. Who believes he hasn\'t been doing what else. I\'m praying the probe finds more on Harn that isn\'t part of the plea bargain.