Blotter: Pennsylvania couple sentenced for illegal gambling ring

Allan Richard Campbell and his wife Carol, both from McDonald, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, received their sentences from U.S. District Judge David Cercone for running an illegal sports betting and lottery-style gambling ring.

Federal prosecutors were pursuing a sentence of at least two years against Mr. Campbell, but Judge Cercone reduced his time to seventeen months in federal prison due to the defendant’s advanced age. Mr. Campbell is seventy-two years old.

Mr. Campbell pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in illegal gambling, money laundering, falsifying his income tax papers and illegal possession of a gun by a convicted felon. In addition to the prison time, Mr. Campbell received a US$2,000 fine. Authorities also seized his much of his assets, including US$250,000 in cash, US$66,000 in savings bonds, and nine vehicles.

Mrs. Campbell, age sixty-two, received two years probation. She entered a guilty plea on one count of conspiracy to engage in illegal gambling back in May of this year. Both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell had a record of prior convictions for running illegal gambling operations, which is the reason that prosecutors sought such tough sentences on the couple.

Mr. Campbell’s defense attorney, Paul Boas, cited his client’s numerous charitable contributions during the sentencing hearing. Mr. Boas also mentioned Mr. Campbell’s esteem and regard in the community due to the money and time that he had spent with such volunteer groups as the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the local Boys and Girls Clubs. He said that his client was not a “bad guy”, just a “good guy who did a bad thing”.

However, the attorney’s arguments did not sway the judge’s decision on sentencing. Although Mr. Campbell has three earlier convictions on gambling-related charges that occurred more than twenty years ago, Judge Cercone felt that those violations could not be disregarded. Also, with the earlier convictions on Mrs. Campbell’s record, she faces another ruling in the coming months on whether or not she will be allowed to visit her husband.