Las Vegas judge issues arrest
warrant for Tony Rezko over alleged gambling debts
By: Natasha
Korecki
Federal
Courts Reporter
Chicago Sun-Times
With the jury
still deliberating corruption charges against him in
Chicago, Tony Rezko now faces fresh criminal charges in
Las Vegas that accuse him of failing to pay $450,000 in
gambling debts.
"We have
notified the marshals we have a warrant for his arrest,"
Roger said. "They will execute the warrant at the
appropriate time."
In all
likelihood, if Rezko is convicted and detained,
authorities in Las Vegas would put a detainer on him so
he later could be transferred to Nevada. If he is
acquitted in the Chicago case, he would face extradition
for the Nevada charges.
According to
his warrant, Rezko owes $450,000 in gambling debts to
Caesars Palace and Bally's Hotel Casino that he allegedly
racked up between March and July 2006.
Rezko allegedly
tried to back up his gambling with markers on his
account, but it had insufficient funds, Roger said.
Insufficient
funds in varying amounts — from $15,000 to $120,000 —
were drawn against his account at Broadway Bank,
according to Rezko's warrant.
Rezko owed a
total of more than $800,000, but Bellagio LLC obtained a
judgment of default against Rezko in 2007 for not
repaying $331,000 in gambling markers, court records
show.
U.S. Attorney
spokesman Randall Samborn would not comment. Nor would
Rezko's attroneys. It appeared that lawyers in Rezko's
Chicago case met this morning in the judge's chambers.
Rezko lawyer
Joseph Duffy left without comment.
Rezko, 52, of
Wilmette, who was a fund-raiser to both Gov. Blagojevich
and presidential hopeful Barack Obama, is accused of
scheming with codefendant Stuart Levine to take kickbacks
from companies seeking state business.
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