Online Betting Operation Goes Bust in Washington County



Gambling appeared to be big business for Timothy Clower Bryant of Fayetteville.

Gambling appeared to be big business for Timothy Clower Bryant of Fayetteville.

Or it was until last week, when the 36-year-old waived indictment and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Fayetteville to one count of operating an illegal gambling business.

Bryant's plea agreement shows that between January 2010 and December 2011 Bryant took bets on college and professional football and basketball games through a series of websites. He collected money for those wagers and paid winners at various places around Washington County.

Bryant also paid Albert Reed Jr., who, along with others, has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Texas to operating a gambling business. Bryant's payment to Reed was for using the gambling websites that Reed set up.

Bryant would pay between 12 and 15 percent of his winnings to Reed. And those checks to Reed totaled $832,000, the plea agreement said. While the plea agreement doesn't give a total amount that Bryant earned, our math shows based on those numbers that Bryant's winnings could have bumped up close to $7 million.

Bryant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. But Bryant has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. government, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Arkansas has agreed to recommend a sentence of one year of probation.

A sentencing date hasn't been set.

This is a reprint from arkansasbusiness.com. to view the original, click here.


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