
A Canadian priest in Ontario has admitted to losing significantly more than CDN$500,000 (US$386,000) in charitable funds that were supposed to assist Iraqi refugees searching for asylum into the eastern province that is canadian.
Canadian priest Amer Saka gambled away a lot more than $380,000 in funds raised that were supposed to be utilized to aid Iraq refugees. No charges were filed against the Ontario man of the cloth.
Father Amer Saka of the St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church told Bishop Emanuel Shaleta in February which he had gambled away all the cash, which had been gathered through parishioner donations. The Chaldean Church is headquartered in Baghdad, Iraq, and goes back to the 1st century, though Saka’s parish in London, Ontario was created less than five years ago with Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing.
‘We believe Father Saka has a gambling that is serious and that these funds may have now been used for that purpose,’ Shaleta told the Toronto Star. ‘I was called by hi . . . and said he destroyed all the money.’
Unholy Happenings
The roughly $386,000 ended up being deposited into an account entrusted to Saka by families belonging to St. Joseph’s. The finances had been supposed to be safeguarded by the church and used to assist refugees that are incoming Iraq.
The Chaldean refugee sponsorship program requires donors to support migrants for a minimum of one after they arrive in Canada year.
‘They failed to give this money as a contribution with regards to their church,’ Shaleta stated. ‘They trusted him, this money was not for him. It would be to get back once again to the refugees [once they arrived here].’
It’s unclear what Saka’s game of choice was at the casino, or which venue or venues he frequented.
Regardless, it’s yet another black colored eye on the Catholic Church, due to the fact religion continues to be working with persistent claims of intimate abuse within its organization. Just this month, circumstances grand jury in Pennsylvania unearthed that more than 50 wheel of fortune slot machine free online priests and religious leaders into the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona intimately abused and raped children over a 40-year period.
No charges that are formal been levied on Saka, but an investigation by the London Police provider is ongoing. Saka has since checked to the Southdown Institute, an Ontario addiction and mental health rehabilitation center for clergy members.
Are Church Donations Safe?
While Saka attempts to overcome his gambling addiction, parishes across the national country might want to have a closer look at their bank accounts, once the St. Joseph incident could be miniscule should alternative priests try their hand during the casino with money that isn’t theirs.
In February, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCBC) announced a campaign that is joint the Canadian Catholic Organization for developing and Peace, Aid towards the Church in Need Canada, and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association Canada, by which it had raised over $3.5 million.
The CCBC charity funds will apparently be distributed to Syrian refugees seeking safety in the Middle East and parts of Europe. What kind of safeguards have been applied, if any, to protect the donations making yes they reach refugees is unclear.
With regard to the donors and refugees, we are able to only pray that the $3.5 million is being better secured than the contributions collected by St. Joseph’s.
It should go without saying that priests aren’t permitted to participate in gambling activities, specially with parishioner monies, but to reinforce that notion, Shaleta explained that ‘it’s contrary to the rules’ of the Catholic priesthood.
Washington, D.C. Always a Political Gamble, But Could a casino that is actual to Nation’s Capital?
Washington, D.C., is a powerhouse of intrigue, bluffs, and gambles, but that reality could 1 day expand to an actual casino that is land-based the District, in cases where a team funded by an anonymous organization in Delaware get its means.
Perhaps not the many glamorous location to pull tourists to, but backers of a Washington, D.C., casino are pushing an initiative in hopes of revitalizing the poor and crime-ridden (but historic) Anacostia neighborhood. (Image: elevationdcmedia.com)
A group referred to as the people Committee in Support of the Limited Gaming Initiative of 2016 is trying to place a referendum on the ballot this November in the District of Columbia, asking area voters to decide whether casino-style gambling should be legalized in the downtown area.
Committee Chairperson Berry Jerrels, a longtime Washington governmental activist and businessman, wants to put poker, blackjack, and other card games in the historic region of Anacostia, named for the river located to its eastern.
The area ended up being initially a stronghold associated with Nacochtank Indian tribe, who were forced out by Colonial settlers as far back as 1608, whenever Captain John Smith of Pocahontas popularity moved through. Fast-forward 400 years, plus the latest wampum could be in the form of casino chips to enhance the area’s coffers and job options.
‘It’s about job training, real jobs, new income for the city, as well as an elevated, regulated gaming experience for visitors,’ Jerrels told WAMU 88.5, initial outlet to report in the casino developments. ‘Our goal would be to target the population that is visiting of District.’
Anti-Anacostia
Jerrels’ desire to attract and profit off tourists visiting the capital seems fine on paper. However, the reality is that few sightseers venture across the Anacostia River away from the downtown nationwide Mall area.
A DC-based commercial realtor told us that the Anacostia neighborhood is certainly one regarding the city’s poorest, and home to a good amount of crime and medication activity.
According to data compiled from the United States Census Bureau and FBI Uniform Crime Reports, Anacostia has a 207 percent higher crime rate than the average that is national and a resident associated with area possesses one in 11 possibility of becoming a victim of a bad crime.
Neighborhood residents additionally never appear too thrilled about bringing casino gambling towards the community.
‘It just generally seems to me personally that the intersection that has such name recognition of the same quality Hope and MLK . . . [it doesn’t make sense] that you would decimate that boulevard with some gambling facility,’ Anacostia Economic Development Corporation President Stanley Jackson stated.
Numerous Obstacles to Overcome
Numerous hurdles stay in Jerrels’ course before he can bring his proposal to ballot.
First, the D.C. Board of Elections must accept the effort throughout a hearing scheduled for May 4. Should the board do so, Jerrels would then need to collect still 25,000 signatures to place the initiative on the ballot.
Another problem standing in their way lies with the background of his reported backer that is financial US Virgin Islands-based gambling businessman Shawn Scott.
According to filings that are legal by Jerrels, Anacostia Redevelopment, an LLC registered in Delaware, is bankrolling the gaming push. Jerrels and Scott were also in paired up in 2006 to legalize video clip slots at the Anacostia that is same location but that measure failed.
Scott features a checkered past when it comes to your gaming industry, though. He’s been rejected licenses in several states, and was slapped with a $600,000 fine for forging signatures in 2004.
Though Jerrels’ and Scott’s past attempts failed, one asset due to their campaign these times may be the MGM National Harbor, which is scheduled to start in the second half of 2016. Seven miles due south of Anacostia, maybe it’s a compelling attempting to sell point that as long as video gaming is coming to your area anyhow, it will make sense to help keep those profits within city limits.
But the price of bringing gambling to your city doesn’t, during the moment, have actually widespread help. Gambling the old-fashioned way has been illegal in the country’s capital for many years, and it doesn’t appear which is changing anytime soon.
Phil Mickelson Gambling Pal Gregory Silveira Withdraws Guilty Plea in Money Laundering Case
Golfer Phil Mickelson refuses to comment about any involvement that is potential the money laundering case against ex-handicapper Gregory Silveira. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)
Gambler Gregory Silveira, proven to have ties to golfer (and gambler) Phil Mickelson, has been facing costs of cash laundering in a la court. Nevertheless now Silveriera, who had formerly plead guilty to the fees, wants to change his plea not to.
The 56-year-old former activities handicapper from La Quinta, California a year ago admitted to three charges of laundering almost $3 million between an ‘unnamed gambling client,’ who was later identified by ESPN as Mickelson, as well as an illegal offshore sports book.
Mickelson, who’s recognized to have a fondness for gambling, is perhaps not named in court documents or accused of any crime.
In March 2010, according to court documents, Silveira received a wire transfer of $2.75 million from your client into his own bank account. He then transferred $2.475 million, as well as the remaining $275,000, into two split bank records, both in their name.
PM Me
In accordance with ESPN’s Outside the Lines (OTL), a show that focuses on American sports issues ‘both on and off the field,’ an early on version of Silveira’s plea agreement included a reference to ‘money laundering of funds from P.M.’ When OTL inquired about the initials, the prosecution had the document stricken from the records, filing an amended variation the following day.
But now Silveira desires to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming that he was merely seeking to protect ‘an individual who did maybe not wish his wagering activity to become public.’ The ex-handicapper claims he had been offered advice that is bad his previous protection lawyer.
Court documents filed Tuesday by Silveira’s new attorney, James Duff, stated: ‘Silveira’s original counsel had told him that the money Silveira received from the gambler was ‘tainted’ and that Silveira’s transfer of those funds constituted money laundering. This advice was incorrect.’
Duff adds into the court filing that the cash was not ‘tainted’ and that Silveira ended up being merely settling a friend’s ‘gambling financial obligation with legitimately earned money.’
No (Sensical) Comment
Mickelson, meanwhile, refused (via their counsel) to supply an official statement on the instance, although when confronted about this directly by way of a journalist at last year’s Scottish Open, he offered the following rather oblique comment onto it all.
‘People are planning to say things good; they are going to say things bad; they are going to say things real; they are going to express things perhaps not true,’ he said. ‘The reality is, I’m comfortable enough with whom I am as a person that I do not feel like i want to comment on every little report that comes out.’
Mickelson is famously known for wagering large on the Super Bowl, plus in 2001 was reprimanded by the PGA for wagering on the results of A tiger woods shot at the NEC Invitational, in breach of the association’s strict anti-gambling policy.
Recently, in January, he chastised 17-year-old Australian pro Ryan Ruffles for publicly disclosing the details of a bet the 2 had made while sparring on the course. According to Ruffles, Mickelson offered him 2:1 on a $2,500 bet that the game would be won by him, but Mickelson lost by one shot. a disgruntled mickelson later said that the sum was exaggerated.
Arizona Tribe Can Move Forward with Glendale Casino Expansion Following US Appeals Court Decision
The Desert Diamond West Valley Casino opened to less-than-stellar reviews last December, but that should change after the Arizona tribe managing the Glendale facility won its lawsuit against their state to provide Class III games. (Image: foxcarolina.com)
An Arizona tribe received the blessing regarding the US that is 9th Circuit of Appeals this week to expand its Glendale casino to include Class III gaming and feature slots and table games. The court ruled on Tuesday that the Tohono tribe has every right to operate its Desert Diamond West Valley Casino and Resort in Glendale, Arizona in a lawsuit between the Tohono O’odham Nation vs. the State of Arizona, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and Gila River Indian Community.
State lawmakers and the two opposing tribes argued that Tohono doesn’t always have the right that is legal operate a casino on land that wasn’t under their ownership if the Indian community reached its gaming compact with Arizona in 2002.
In a unanimous choice, the 9th Circuit Court rejected their state’s arguments and ruled, ‘The Tohono O’odham country’s intend to build a casino and conduct Class III video gaming on a certain parcel of land did not violate a gaming compact between the country additionally the State of Arizona. The Compact expressly authorizes Class III gaming ( table card games and slots) on the ‘Indian Lands’ of the country.’
Decision Great For West Valley
Located significantly less than 20 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix, the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino opened December that is last under scrutiny.
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian and Gila River Indian communities opposed the resort due to their own self-interests, as the two tribes run gambling enterprises within the Phoenix aspects of Chandler and Scottsdale.
After many court decisions, the Tohono Nation was allowed to move forward with its Glendale resort.
Up to now, the western Valley location has only been permitted to offer Class II games. The classification is defined by the Arizona Department of Gaming as being ‘limited to games or gambling devices in line with the game of bingo, and cards in which players play just against one another, and the homely house cannot win.’
The lack of slots as well as other popular casino that is commercial has led to the West Valley Casino being panned by site visitors. Bringing Class III variants to the casino floor should revitalize curiosity about the facility, and, in change, generate more revenues that are substantial.