 |
Michael Olaf Schuett, a German online casino director, has been arrested by the FBI in America following a lengthy investigation. After a tipoff from the Federal Express the authorities were quick to pounce on the Schuett who’d been in charge of an online gambling site, responsible for paying out millions of dollars over the last three years.
However, Schuett has not been charged with online gambling crimes but for money laundering. The first signs that something was awry came when the Federal Express were delivering over 50 packages (containing money) a day, to address around the US. Various financial institutions were also becoming suspicious of MCM Capital Management’s (Schuett’s main company) activities after numerous large cheques were cashed into separate bank accounts.
The German, who’s American visa expires in April, has been refused bail because of fears he may leave the country will be held until the investigation is complete. This isn’t the first time the FBI have been quick to arrest someone they suspected of money laundering through an online gambling site. Indeed, UIGEA doesn’t outlaw online gambling or online poker in America and it certainly hasn’t prevented people such as Schuett from using the medium to illegally launder money. The vagueness of the law has lead many people, such as Barney Frank, to push for new laws that would overturn the UIGEA and fully legalise online gambling, thereby making it safer and more regulated. |
