Suburban Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Conducting Illegal Sports Gambling Business

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man pleaded guilty in federal court today to conducting an illegal sports gambling business and laundering the proceeds through an offshore company.

VINCENT DELGIUDICE, also known as “Uncle Mick,” 55, of Orland Park, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, and one count of conducting an illegal gambling business, which is punishable by up to five years.  U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall did not immediately set a sentencing date.  A status hearing was set for March 8, 2021.

The guilty plea was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Emmerson Buie, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI; and Tamera Cantu, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terry Kinney, Ankur Srivastava, and Abigail Peluso.

The FBI’s Integrity in Sport and Gaming Initiative (ISG) is designed to tackle illegal sports gambling and combat threats of influence from criminal enterprises.

Delgiudice admitted in a plea agreement that from 2016 to 2019 he directed an illegal bookmaking business in Chicago, Lemont, Frankfort, Orland Park, and Woodridge.  Delgiudice and his agents accepted wagers on the outcome of professional football, basketball, baseball, and hockey games, as well as collegiate sporting events, the plea agreement states.  Delgiudice further admitted that he retained the services of a company in Costa Rica to manage the accounting, recordkeeping, and website management of his bookmaking operation, and that in 2018 and 2019 he sent the company at least $113,625 to promote the continued operation of the illegal gambling business.