The General
Another Day, Another Dollar
A Cherokee County man, who admitted running a large bookmaking operation, was sentenced Wednesday to two months in prison and eight months of home detention.
U.S District Judge Scott Coogler imposed the sentence on James "Frog" West, 61, of Centre. West pleaded guilty in August to three counts of federal excise tax evasion for not paying taxes on wagers he took.
U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said West received hundreds of thousands of dollars of wagers each month that he did not report to the Internal Revenue Service and did not pay federal excise taxes. Federal law requires the taxes to be paid, even though bookmaking is illegal in Alabama.
In addition to his prison time, West must pay $26,944 in federal excise taxes on the unreported wagers.
West's case grew out of the federal government's investigation of public corruption in Cherokee County, Martin said. That investigation has resulted in guilty pleas or convictions for a former probate judge, a former county commissioner, a landfill developer and two insurance agents.
"The public deserves a place to live where the rule of law is followed and obeyed. Mr. West operated his bookmaking operation for a period of years and made little effort to conceal his gambling activities. During this time a large number of persons regularly placed illegal bets with West. This has now stopped," Martin said.
tuscaloosanews.com
U.S District Judge Scott Coogler imposed the sentence on James "Frog" West, 61, of Centre. West pleaded guilty in August to three counts of federal excise tax evasion for not paying taxes on wagers he took.
U.S. Attorney Alice Martin said West received hundreds of thousands of dollars of wagers each month that he did not report to the Internal Revenue Service and did not pay federal excise taxes. Federal law requires the taxes to be paid, even though bookmaking is illegal in Alabama.
In addition to his prison time, West must pay $26,944 in federal excise taxes on the unreported wagers.
West's case grew out of the federal government's investigation of public corruption in Cherokee County, Martin said. That investigation has resulted in guilty pleas or convictions for a former probate judge, a former county commissioner, a landfill developer and two insurance agents.
"The public deserves a place to live where the rule of law is followed and obeyed. Mr. West operated his bookmaking operation for a period of years and made little effort to conceal his gambling activities. During this time a large number of persons regularly placed illegal bets with West. This has now stopped," Martin said.
tuscaloosanews.com
