The Sports Ledger www.TheSportsLedger.com
Alabama Ledger www.AlabamaLedger.com
PAGE 3 November 2023
The IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) recently issued a press release to inform sports fans who may place money on their favorite athletic teams, that engaging in illegal gambling could lead to criminal charges ranging from money laundering to tax evasion. “With professional football being the most popular sport in the United States, this is a good time for us to highlight the issue of illegal gambling,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Those who participate in sports betting must ensure they are doing so legally and should review the laws in their states pertaining to it.” Between 2021 and 2023, CI initiated more than 100 investigations into illegal gambling activity totaling more than $178 million. Of these, 89 cases resulted in indictments, with a 96% conviction rate for prosecuted cases. In January 2023, eleven people received a 114-count indictment stemming from their management of a multi-million dollar wagering excise tax evasion scheme involving an illegal sports-betting organization. Among the counts in the indictment is tax evasion which the illegal sports-betting organization failed to report approximately $19.8 million. More than $20 million was seized by CI. Seven of the defendants are from the Atlanta Field Office’s area of responsibility which covers Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. They include: • Timothy J. Pughsley, 51, of Birmingham, is charged with 38 counts of tax evasion, one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports-betting organization, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and four counts of money laundering. • Christopher Burdette, 30, of Chelsea, is charged with six counts of tax evasion, one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports-betting organization, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering. • Nathanael Burdette, 36, of Birmingham, is charged with six counts of tax evasion, one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports-betting organization, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering. • Jonathan Lind, 44, of Birmingham, is charged with six counts of tax evasion, one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports-betting organization, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering. • Thomas V. Zito, 57, of Vestavia, is charged with six counts of tax evasion, one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports-betting organization, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering. • Christopher Donaldson, 46, of Trussville, is charged with one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sport-betting organization and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. • Joshua Gentrup, 36, of Athens, GA, is charged with six counts of tax evasion, one count of conspiring to operate an illegal sports-betting organization, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and two counts of money laundering. The other five defendants are from Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Tennessee. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Individuals who engage in sports betting activities are required to report their winnings on their annual tax return using Form W-2G. Additionally, the IRS encourages individuals to keep detailed records of all gambling transactions, including bets placed, winnings received, and losses incurred. Sports enthusiasts who are unsure about their tax obligations or have questions about reporting gambling income are encouraged to consult tax professionals or visit the official IRS website for guidance. Ignorance of the tax law does not exempt individuals from their responsibilities. For more info visit IRS.gov. Christmas on the Coosa Illegal Sports Betting Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford recently announced that the City of Gadsden will host “Christmas on the Coosa,” a 21-day ice skating winter experience beginning Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. The temporary ice rink will be located at 344 1st Street in downtown Gadsden, across from the Spirit of American Citizenship Monument near Moragne Park. Featuring approximately 3,000 square feet of ice-skating area, up to 85 skaters per hour over the age of 3 can show off their skills with a $12 admission price, which includes specially designed skates. The synthetic rink allows skaters to experience the look and feel of ice skating in warmer climates. Skate helpers will be available for an additional charge. “It's beginning to feel like a Hallmark movie is coming to Gadsden,” said Mayor Ford. “We are inviting everyone to come experience ice skating over the Coosa River, and while you’re here, you may want to visit Christmas at the Falls or take a carriage ride through downtown. This season, we want residents and visitors to make lifelong memories in Gadsden!” With food and beverage trucks, crafters, and other vendors on site daily, visitors can come early or stay after their skate time to get the whole experience. Visitors can hit the ice and warm up with hot cocoa or a relaxing Christmas cocktail under the Alabama sky. Visitors can also capture special memories at the Polar Bear Club, featuring life- sized polar bear statues and other Instagram-worthy props. The city’s events department is planning visits from guests like Santa Claus, the Grinch, and Cindy Lou Who. The Christmas on the Coosa ice skating experience will be open for 21 days through December. 23. Each day will include hourly skate times with 15-minute breaks. Monday through Friday, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-10 p.m. During this season, the City of Gadsden will also host several special events in downtown Gadsden. The first two nights of Christmas on the Coosa, which is Dec. 2-3, will feature the city’s annual Mistletoe Market event, which offers something for everyone from various specialty vendors, including snacks, crafts, and gifts for all ages. Recently, Gadsden welcomed the launch of Historic Gadsden Carriage Tours, a local business offering horse-drawn carriage rides through Gadsden’s historic downtown. Friday, December 1, at 5:30 p.m., might be the perfect time for a carriage ride as the city will host its annual Christmas Tree Lighting event to illuminate the 50-foot-tall pine on the front lawn of Gadsden City Hall. Saturday, December 9, will be the annual Christmas Parade at 5 p.m. on Broad Street. The festive-filled Gadsden area features dozens of other special Christmas-themed events and experiences. Gadsden’s Noccalula Falls Park and Campground is a regional hub for tourism each winter, with its Christmas at the Falls experience sporting over one million Christmas lights. The annal Christmas at the Falls begins November 23 and will be held every night through December 31, with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Night. Tickets and more info is available at Noccalulafallspark.com. Santa will also be making a stop at Noccalula Fall for the Paws on the Falls event on November 21st. He will be available for photos with you pet. For more information, visit the Noccalula Falls Park or the City of Gadsden’s website. Oneonta is getting into the holiday spirit with a host of upcoming events. The festivities begin December 7, 2023 when beautifully decorated Christmas trees will be lit at the community Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the gazebo area. The ceremony takes place from 5-8 p.m. and includes horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa Claus, holiday music, festive firetruck rides by the Oneonta Fire Department, snow and a live performance of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Art Alive Children’s Theatre. The lighting countdown will commence at 6 p.m. and trees will be illuminated 24 hours a day through Jan. 1, 2024. The gazebo is located at 1st Avenue East and 4th Street, in front of the angel wings mural. Shoppers are encouraged to have their shopping lists prepared and make their way downtown Saturday, Dec. 9 for the City Christmas Market. Various vendors will be set up at the McDaniel Gym from 4 to 7 p.m. The third annual Christmas Creatures Parade will take place at 6 p.m. beginning at the library parking lot and down 1st Avenue East to the Gazebo. All proceeds are donated to the Blount County Animal Adoption Center & Crossing Paths Animal Rescue. Horse-drawn carriages will also be available for free rides through downtown Oneonta from 6 to 8 p.m. The Blount County Christmas parade will be on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. The streets of Oneonta this night will be filled with marching bands, creative floats and more. More shopping opportunities are available on December 14 from 5-8 p.m. during the Christmas in Oneonta night at the gazebo area. Restaurants will be open and there will be free horse-drawn carriage rides, free live back to back performances of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Art Alive Children’s Theater (located at the angel wings mural), snow and Santa Claus will be available in the gazebo for photos. Oneonta Christmas Festivities
ALMOST 600,000 LBS OF UNWANTED DRUGS - This past month, American's emptied their medicine cabinets to help dispose of old, unwanted, and expired medications. During this drug take back day, the DEA and its law enforcement partners collected 599,897 pounds of unneeded medications at 4,675 collection sites nationwide. For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Take Back Day has removed almost 17.9 million pounds of unneeded medications from communities across the country. Take Back events provide families easy, no-cost opportunities to get rid of unnecessary medicines. FOOD DRIVE UNDERWAY - The faculty, staff and students of Gadsden State Cherokee are partnering with the Cherokee County Rotary Club in sponsoring the annual Food Drive during November, which will benefit Cherokee Family Care Center. Food items needed include canned meats, instant potatoes, peanut butter and jelly, ramen noodles, rice, canned vegetables, canned pumpkin, chili, soups and stew. Donations may be dropped off at the academic building lobby of Gadsden State Cherokee located at 801 Cedar Bluff Road in Centre. For more info call 256-927-1808. TOP 150 COLLEGE - The Aspen Institute has named Northeast Alabama Community College as one of the top 150 institutions in the nation. Joining NACC on the Top 150 list were three other Alabama Community Colleges including Wallace State in Hanceville, Snead State in Boaz, and Southern Union Community College. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success. Aspen reviews multiple data sources and honors colleges with outstanding achievement in six critical areas that include: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, equitable access to the college, and equitable outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. Each college named is eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. BIG BUCK PHOTO CONTEST - The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is holding a Big Buck Challenge Photo Contest for Alabama and Auburn white-tail deer hunters. Entries are currently being accepted and entering the challenge is easy. All you have to do is upload a photo of yourself alongside your buck harvest from this season, or seasons past, at the website OutdoorAlabama.com/BigBuckChallenge. Four grand prizes will be awarded in two rounds during the challenge. The first round of prizes will be awarded in mid-November 2023 when photos from one Alabama fan and one Auburn fan will be randomly selected to each receive a pair of Iron Bowl tickets and a $250 gift card. The second round of prizes will be awarded in mid-January 2024 when photos from one Alabama fan and one Auburn fan will be randomly selected to each receive a pair of tickets to the Alabama vs. Auburn men’s basketball game scheduled for February 2024 and a $250 gift card. The entrant of the randomly selected photos will be notified by email. The photo contest runs until January 16, 2024, at noon and is open to anyone ages 19 and up who is not an employee of one of the sponsors. The Outdoor Alabama Big Buck Challenge is sponsored by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Auburn University Athletics and the University of Alabama through its athletics multimedia rights holder Crimson Tide Sports Marketing. The Sports Ledger, LLC or Alabama Ledger is not one of the sponsors for the contest. KENNETH EUGENE SMITH EXECUTION - Governor Kay Ivey has set the time frame for the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith to occur beginning at 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 25, 2024 and expiring at 6:00 a.m. on Friday, January 26, 2024. The execution will be carried out by nitrogen hypoxia, the method previously requested by the inmate as an alternative to lethal injection. It is reportedly the first use of Nitrogen gas for an execution. Smith has been on death row since 1996. He was convicted for the 1988 murder-for-hire of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett in Colbert County. This will mark the State's second attempt to execute Smith. Last November officials were unable perform an intravenous connection during a lethal injection before his Death Warrant time expired. SARAH HUCKABEE ENDORSES PRESIDENT TRUMP- Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has endorsed President Donald J. Trump in his bid to reclaim the White House. “It’s not a question between right versus left anymore. It’s normal versus crazy, and President Biden and the left are doubling down on crazy. The time has come to return to the normal policies of the Trump era which created a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America, and that’s why I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for President," Huckebee said in a recent statement. COAST GUARD JROTC - The Coast Guard recenlty conducted a commissioning ceremony for the first Coast Guard Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps units in Mississippi and Alabama. The programs will be at Clinton High school and Saraland High School. The Coast Guard JROTC program aims to inspire and develop young leaders by instilling the values of teamwork, discipline, and service to the community. This initiative will provide high school students with a unique opportunity to explore careers in the Coast Guard and gain valuable leadership skills that will benefit them in their future endeavors. The Coast Guard established its first JROTC unit in 1992, in Miami. Under recent federal legislation, the Coast Guard is expanding the JROTC program to every Coast Guard District by 2025. The Clinton and Saraland High School JROTC program, activated in November of 2023, marks the first two units in Coast Guard District Eight. SPRING REGISTRATION - Registration at Gadsden State Community College for the upcoming spring semester is ongoing through Jan. 12. Classes begin Jan. 8 for the full spring semester and spring mini 1 term. Classes begin March 1 for the spring mini 2 term. Visit www.gadsdenstate.edu and click on the link to “ONEACCS” at the top of the page to begin the registration process. To be admitted, go to gadsdenstate.edu/apply. For more info regarding admission or registration, email admissions@gadsdenstate.edu. Also Gadsden State Community College is extending its Buy One Get One Free Scholarship program to the Spring Semester for members of the Chambers of Commerce in Calhoun, Cherokee and Etowah counties. LITTLE MERMAID PRINCESS - The Gadsden City Schools Cosmetology Department will hold a Little Mermaid Princess event on Friday, December 1, 2023 from 3-6 p.m. at the Career Tech Building. This is an opportunity for children up to age 11 to be a princess for the day. The cost is $25 per child. For more information about the event call 256-543-3614 (Ext. 4526) or email tflowers@gadsdencityschools.org. SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE UNDERWAY - Gadsden State Community College’s Electronic Engineering Technology and Mechatronics programs are sponsoring a school supply drive for elementary schools in Etowah County through December 10. Gadsden State’s faculty, staff and students as well as community members are encouraged to participate and show their support by dropping off donations to boxes located at the Gadsden State Bookstore in the One Stop Center, the Ford Center lobby, the Bevill Center and the Industrial Automation/Electrical Technology Building on the East Broad Campus. All donations will be given to resource teachers at all local schools. For questions, more information on additional donation boxes at other campus locations or the full list of preferred supplies, please contact Reed at sreed@gadsdenstate.edu or visit. 2024 JUNIOR FELLOWS PROGRAM - The Library of Congress is seeking applicants for its next Junior Fellows Program, a summer internship held from May 20, 2024, to July 26, 2024. This 10-week, full-time paid internship is open to undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates interested in learning and conducting research using the resources of the largest library in the world. Remote and on-site project opportunities are available. The deadline to apply is Monday, November 27, 2023. ELECTION DATES SET FOR SENATE DISTRICT 9 - Governor Kay Ivey has set special election dates for Alabama Senate District 9. This seat was previously held by Clay Scofield, who resigned on October 30, 2023. The special primary election is set for Tuesday, January 9, 2024. The special primary runoff, if necessary, is set for Tuesday, February 6, 2024. The special general election will be on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. Senate District 9 represents portions of Blount, Madison and Marshall Counties. News and Announcements
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