On Tuesday, it was reported that Black Friday defendant John Campos had reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Now, the Washington Post is reporting that U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan has refused to accept the plea until the prosecution explains, in writing, “why they let former St. George banker John Campos plead guilty to a misdemeanor bank gambling charge rather than a felony.”
“You’re basically walking away from the prosecution?” asked Kaplan, who has the power to reject the plea deal. Campos is the former vice chairman of SunFirst Bank in Utah and was indicted on April 15 and faced numerous charges, including conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is alleged to have processed $200 million in gambling proceeds between late 2009 and 2011.
According to the Washington Post, Assistant U.S. Attorney Arlo Devlin-Brown revealed that trial risk played a part in the decision. “There would be a risk that a jury on that basis could have a problem,” Devlin-Brown said regarding the recent influx of legal opinions submitted by gaming outlets suggesting the illegality of processing online gambling monies.
Additionally, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Goldstein revealed that the government had successfully banned the 57-year-old Campos, who faces up to six months in prison, from working with banking institutions in the future. Kaplan won’t make a decision on whether or not to accept the plea until a June 27 sentencing.
For more on this story, visit washingtonpost.com.
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