Former Las Vegas casino executive to be sentenced in bookmaking money laundering case

LOS ANGELES -- A erstwhile apical enforcement for large Las Vegas casinos was acceptable to look earlier a national justice connected Wednesday aft admitting helium allowed an amerciable bookmaker to gamble millions of dollars astatine the MGM Grand and wage disconnected debts successful cash.

Scott Sibella pleaded blameworthy successful January to violating national anti-money laundering rules that necessitate casinos to record reports of suspicious transactions. He faces up to 5 years successful situation and a $250,000 fine.

Following Sibella's blameworthy plea, the MGM Grand and adjacent Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas settled a related U.S. Justice Department wealth laundering probe. The resorts agreed to wage a combined $7.45 million, taxable to an outer reappraisal and measurement up their compliance programs.

Sibella's attorneys, Jeffrey Rutherford successful Los Angeles and John Spilotro successful Las Vegas, were seeking leniency and a condemnation of probation from U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee successful Los Angeles. They submitted testimonial letters of enactment to the justice connected Friday, including 1 from Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill, the elected caput of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Rutherford and Spilotro did not respond Tuesday to email messages from The Associated Press.

The bookmaker cardinal to Sibella's case, Wayne Nix, is simply a erstwhile insignificant league shot subordinate who lives successful Newport Coast, California. He's awaiting sentencing aft pleading blameworthy successful April 2022 to operating an amerciable gambling concern and filing a mendacious taxation return.

According to his plea statement with the government, Sibella allowed Nix to gamble astatine MGM Grand and affiliated properties with illicit proceeds generated from the amerciable gambling concern without notifying the casinos' compliance department.

Sibella told national investigators successful January 2022 “that helium had ‘heard that Nix was successful the booking business’ and helium ‘couldn’t fig retired however helium had each the wealth helium gambled with.’”

“I didn’t privation to cognize due to the fact that of my position,” Sibella told investigators. “I enactment retired of it. If we know, we can’t let them to gamble. I didn’t ask, I didn’t privation to cognize I conjecture due to the fact that helium wasn’t doing thing to cheat the casino.”

Sibella was president and main operating serviceman of the MGM Grand for 8 years and past president of Resorts World Las Vegas until 2023. Federal prosecutors accidental Ippei Mizuhara, Los Angeles Dodgers prima Shohei Ohtani’s erstwhile interpreter, transferred wealth helium stole from the Japanese superstar to Resorts World successful a strategy to wage disconnected debts to amerciable bookmakers. Sibella is not implicated successful that case, which besides is portion of the wide national probe into sports gambling.

Separately, Nevada casino regulators are considering revoking oregon suspending Sibella's authorities gambling licence and fining him up to $750,000. A ailment filed April 30 by authorities Gaming Control Board investigators has not yet been considered by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Sibella held apical enforcement positions astatine The Mirage and Treasure Island casinos connected the Las Vegas Strip earlier becoming president of the much than 6,800-room MGM Grand successful 2011. He near the institution successful February 2019 and joined Resorts World Las Vegas earlier Malaysia-based Genting Group opened the $4.3 billion, 66-floor edifice successful June 2021.

He was dismissed by Resorts World successful September 2023 aft the institution said helium "violated institution policies and the presumption of his employment.”

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Ritter reported from Las Vegas.