Tocchet to appear in court in illegal gambling probe

The former NHL All-Star and current assistant couch for the Phoenix Coyotes, Rick Tocchet, is scheduled to appear in court as a part of a case against an illegal gambling ring.

Tocchet to appear in court in illegal gambling probe Tocchet is due at the courtroom in New Jersey on Friday at 11am, but the reason was not specified by the state Attorney General's Office. In February last year the former hockey star was served a criminal complaint of promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Although Tocchet has not been formally charged by a grand jury, the allegations are that he and two others participated in an illegal gambling ring which took over $1.7 million in bets from celebrities and athletes.

One of the other two co-defendants, New Jersey local by the name James Ulmer, pleaded guilty to running a sports betting operation, and pointed Rick Tocchet as a partner in the illegal gambling ring. As a part of his plea, Ulmer will cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. According to him, Tocchet was entitled to a part of the profits, and in return was covering temporary losses of the illegal sports betting ring.

The other defendant in this case, the former policeman James Harney, also from New Jersey, also pleaded guilty and is looking at up to 7 years in prison.

The popularity of this case increased when the authorities said that Janet Jones, the wife of the hockey player Wayne Gretzky, was one of the high profiles placing bets via the illegal sports ring. Jones has stated that she had never placed bets on Gretzky, but has not commented if she had wagered at all. Wayne Gretzky claims he had never bet on sports during his career.

05/24/2007