Three family members indicted for gambling business

Thursday, March 16, 2006

A Potomac man, his brother-in-law and the brother-in-law’s son were indicted last week for conducting an illegal gambling business.

A federal grand jury indicted Herbert David Meyers, 60, of Potomac for conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business and conducting an illegal gambling business, according a U.S. Department of Justice release.

Meyers’ brother-in-law Robert Levine, 69, and Levine’s son, Steven Levine, 45, both of Montgomery Village were also indicted.

Meyers and Robert Levine were also charged with several counts of money laundering, the release said.

According to the indictment, the three men ran an illegal sports bookmaking business from March 2001 to January 2004.

They allegedly solicited prospective bettors to make wagers on professional and college football and basketball games and other sports events and instructed them to place their wagers with a company called World Wide Wagering, Inc.

Meyers and Robert Levine collected from and made payments to bettors on Thursdays and Fridays at various locations, including Timpano’s Italian Chop House, Seven Locks Beer and Wine and another location on Shady Grove Road in Rockville and at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business and conducting a gambling business is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The maximum penalty for money laundering is 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000.

Court appearances for the three men have not been scheduled.

Meyers’ brother, Howard Meyers, 58, of Rockville, was indicted on Feb. 15 for conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business, conducting an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In October 2005, another Potomac man, Alvin Kotz, was sentenced to three years in prison for running an illegal gambling business and money laundering. Kotz also directed bettors to place wagers with World Wide Wagering, Inc. and collected and paid debts at Timpano’s on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, however, Kotz’s gambling operation was unrelated to Meyers’ and Levine’s, said Marcia Murphy, a Department of Justice spokeswoman.