Veterans’ Charity Head Pleads No Contest in Fla. Gaming Case

The leader of a veterans’ nonprofit that allegedly ran a $300-million Internet gambling ring pleaded no contest to illegal-gaming charges Friday and will likely be a star witness in the pending trials of dozens of co-defendants, reports the Associated Press.

The plea deal will allow Allied Veterans of the World national commander Jerry Bass to avoid incarceration, and his lawyer said Mr. Bass may testify for the prosecution and defense in the trials of other defendants starting next month.

Mr. Bass was one of 57 people were arrested in March in connection with a state probe of Allied Veterans, which ran nearly 50 Internet cafes that authorities say were fronts for computerized casinos. The charity gave about $6-million to veterans’ causes out of the cafes’ nearly $300-million in profits. Defense lawyer Charles Hobbs said Mr. Bass did not know where their proceeds went.