Stark County man pleads guilty in federal gambling case
A 49-year-old Stark County man pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland to one count of tax evasion, two counts of money laundering and one count of operating an illegal gambling establishment, federal authorities said.
Steven Saris, who as of 2022 lived in Lake Township, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 8 by U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent. Until then, he remains free on an unsecured $20,000 bond.
Federal authorities said Saris owned and operated multiple illegal gambling businesses in Northeast Ohio, including in Stark and Summit counties, and "concealed his involvement in these businesses by arranging for others to serve as nominee owners."
In the end, Saris pleaded guilty to operating an illegal gambling business known as Spin City in Mogadore and tax evasion on his federal income taxes for tax year 2018. He also pleaded guilty to using money from illegal activities to purchase cashier checks totaling $215,000 in 2019. Saris used the checks to transfer funds to others to purchase two Lake Township properties on his behalf.
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A statement by the U.S. Justice Department said Saris faces up to 10 years in prison on the money laundering convictions and up to five years on the convictions for tax evasion and operating an illegal gambling business.
Saris' attorney, Mike Callahan, said as part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors dropped 33 other counts for other charges against his client.
They agreed to recommend to the judge a sentence for Saris within federal sentencing guidelines based on a pre-sentencing investigation by federal probation officers and Saris' criminal record. But the judge is not bound to follow the guidelines or prosecutors' recommendation. Callahan said the plea agreement did not include a requirement that Saris testify against any other defendant or assist federal investigators.
In 2009, Saris pleaded guilty to state felony charges of money laundering and grand theft and the misdemeanor of operating a gambling house in Summit County Common Pleas Court. The judge suspended his prison sentence of one year and six months, sentenced him to two years of probation and imposed a $5,000 fine.
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. X formerly Twitter: @rwangREP.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Steve Saris pleads guilty in federal gambling case
