Guilty plea in Breeders Cup betting scam
Chris Harn of Newark, Delaware, implicated two co-defendant college buddies in saying he had "placed a bet and later modified it so it would win."
By manipulating the wager so that a friend picked the winners of six straight races, the 29-year-old computer programmer admitted assuring the huge payoff. Harn was fired Oct. 30 from Autotote, the company that processed the computerized bets on the Breeders' Cup and other races.
As part of the plea, Harn also acknowledged manipulating bets that won more than $100,000 on earlier races that served as a "dry run" for the Breeders' Cup bet, and admitted working another scam where he created duplicates of uncashed winning tickets and collected the cash.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith said Harn could face up to 25 years in prison, but added that the government had reached an understanding that would point to a much lighter sentence.
Harn was allowed to remain free on $200,000 bond pending his Feb. 19 sentencing, where Smith indicated he could be ordered to make $280,000 in restitution.
His two co-defendants were both due back in court Dec. 11.
Harn, Derrick Davis, of Baltimore, and Glen DaSilva, of New York, were charged last week with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a prison term of up to five years.
All three are former Drexel University fraternity brothers, members of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
"This morning, by pleading guilty, Chris has accepted fully the responsibility for the crimes he has committed," Harn's attorney, Daniel Conti, said after the hearing. "He has asked me to express his deepest apologies to everyone who's been affected adversely by his actions."
Harn declined comment.
An attorney for DaSilva ridiculed the plea. Lawyer Ed Hayes likened Hahn's implication of others to "getting John Gotti to testify against a busboy who's skimming tips."
