Suff
07-20-2004, 03:13 PM
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=36351
Probe claims racetrack honcho let high roller phone in wagers
By Dave Wedge, Boston Herald.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Plainridge Racecourse head Gary Piontkowski took illegal phone and credit bets from a wealthy New York broker at the Plainville horse track, filtering cash payments through the track's money room, a scathing state police report alleges.
The explosive charges, which have been forwarded to the state racing commission and are being sent to Attorney General Tom Reilly for possible prosecution, allege that Piontkowski blatantly allowed high rollers to phone in bets in violation of state laws.
According to the report obtained by the Herald, Big Apple commodities broker and horse owner Sanford Goldfarb phoned in bets on credit and was paid with checks Plainridge officials originally claimed were for unspecified services. A top Plainridge manager later admitted to state police that the payments were for bets placed via the phone, a practice banned until this year. Beyond the phone bets, Goldfarb also allegedly was allowed to bet on credit, a practice still illegal.
According to the report, in some cases cash was removed from the money room and wagered at pari-mutuel windows on Goldfarb's behalf. ``Rebate checks'' were later cut to Goldfarb for his winnings. All the while, the Plainridge track would take a commission as high as 27 percent for all the wagers, racing insiders say.
One source told the Herald that Goldfarb bet as much as $100,000 in a day.
The report claims that he bet horses at various tracks through the Plainridge track and usually won. Piontkowski sometimes bet the same horses and also cashed in, according to the report.
Citing Piontkowski's ``obvious criminal culpability,'' state police Lt. Debra A. Simon called on Reilly's office to take action.
``Telephone account wagering which was prohibited by (racing) Commission regulations was being conducted at the Plainridge Racecourse and . . . Mr. Gary Piontkowski had knowledge of and sanctioned/encouraged the continuance of the activity,'' Simon wrote in the report.
Simon also charged that Piontkowski was ``less than truthful'' at several commission hearings, bet higher amounts than he disclosed and fostered a culture of ``intimidation, coercion and fear,'' retaliating against former employees who cooperated with the probe.
Piontkowski's attorneys also engaged in ``excessive stall tactics'' to slow the probe and avoid any licensing problems, the report states.
``As long as Plainridge operated, there was no need to cooperate,'' Simon wrote.
Piontkowski claims the charges are bogus and were investigated several years ago, without any criminal charges. He alleges that state police are seeking retribution against him for filing several complaints against troopers who worked at the track.
``There's nothing illegal,'' Piontkowski said. ``This is absolute retribution, retaliation and smacks of corruptiveness.''
Simon concluded in her report that Piontkowski's complaints of wrongdoing were unfounded.
The scandal is the latest in a long line at the Route 1 harness track and comes amid a shakeup on the state racing commission. Longtime member Leo Fama was removed from the board last week.
Sources say Fama's removal was tied to his outrage over the handling of the Plainridge scandal but officials say he was removed by Gov. Mitt Romney [related, bio] as a matter of politics. Fama was appointed by former Gov. Jane Swift and Romney is appointing his own members, commission spokesman Chris Goetchus said. Commissioner John Sherman also denied Fama's removal was tied to the Plainridge situation.
Probe claims racetrack honcho let high roller phone in wagers
By Dave Wedge, Boston Herald.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Plainridge Racecourse head Gary Piontkowski took illegal phone and credit bets from a wealthy New York broker at the Plainville horse track, filtering cash payments through the track's money room, a scathing state police report alleges.
The explosive charges, which have been forwarded to the state racing commission and are being sent to Attorney General Tom Reilly for possible prosecution, allege that Piontkowski blatantly allowed high rollers to phone in bets in violation of state laws.
According to the report obtained by the Herald, Big Apple commodities broker and horse owner Sanford Goldfarb phoned in bets on credit and was paid with checks Plainridge officials originally claimed were for unspecified services. A top Plainridge manager later admitted to state police that the payments were for bets placed via the phone, a practice banned until this year. Beyond the phone bets, Goldfarb also allegedly was allowed to bet on credit, a practice still illegal.
According to the report, in some cases cash was removed from the money room and wagered at pari-mutuel windows on Goldfarb's behalf. ``Rebate checks'' were later cut to Goldfarb for his winnings. All the while, the Plainridge track would take a commission as high as 27 percent for all the wagers, racing insiders say.
One source told the Herald that Goldfarb bet as much as $100,000 in a day.
The report claims that he bet horses at various tracks through the Plainridge track and usually won. Piontkowski sometimes bet the same horses and also cashed in, according to the report.
Citing Piontkowski's ``obvious criminal culpability,'' state police Lt. Debra A. Simon called on Reilly's office to take action.
``Telephone account wagering which was prohibited by (racing) Commission regulations was being conducted at the Plainridge Racecourse and . . . Mr. Gary Piontkowski had knowledge of and sanctioned/encouraged the continuance of the activity,'' Simon wrote in the report.
Simon also charged that Piontkowski was ``less than truthful'' at several commission hearings, bet higher amounts than he disclosed and fostered a culture of ``intimidation, coercion and fear,'' retaliating against former employees who cooperated with the probe.
Piontkowski's attorneys also engaged in ``excessive stall tactics'' to slow the probe and avoid any licensing problems, the report states.
``As long as Plainridge operated, there was no need to cooperate,'' Simon wrote.
Piontkowski claims the charges are bogus and were investigated several years ago, without any criminal charges. He alleges that state police are seeking retribution against him for filing several complaints against troopers who worked at the track.
``There's nothing illegal,'' Piontkowski said. ``This is absolute retribution, retaliation and smacks of corruptiveness.''
Simon concluded in her report that Piontkowski's complaints of wrongdoing were unfounded.
The scandal is the latest in a long line at the Route 1 harness track and comes amid a shakeup on the state racing commission. Longtime member Leo Fama was removed from the board last week.
Sources say Fama's removal was tied to his outrage over the handling of the Plainridge scandal but officials say he was removed by Gov. Mitt Romney [related, bio] as a matter of politics. Fama was appointed by former Gov. Jane Swift and Romney is appointing his own members, commission spokesman Chris Goetchus said. Commissioner John Sherman also denied Fama's removal was tied to the Plainridge situation.