Lee Takes Plea Deal and Loses Millions
Richard Henry Lee decided on Tuesday to take a plea deal to lower his charges from a felony to a lesser charge. Lee was facing a felony bookmaking charge along with four other men he was in business with. Lee took a plea offered to him that would make the charge a keeping a place for gambling. With this plea Lee also had to turn over more than $2.2 million of poker winnings. Lee's accomplices also took pleas to lessen their charge and avoid jail time. The four men will pay $2,100 in court fees and fines and be on probation for a month.
Police had raided the homes of the five men and confiscated items and cash money. Almost 80% of the confiscated money will be taken into custody as a part of the plea agreement. The total amount withheld will be around $2.5 million. Most of the personal property will be returned to the men including jewelry, cars and electronics.
"I'm glad it's over," Lee said, echoing the words of some of his co-defendants. "Now I need to go win another poker tournament."
Lee won most of his winnings during the WSOP in 2006. He finished 6th in that event and it was soon after that the police raided his home because of an investigation into a sports betting website. Lee's lawyer has stated that he believes his client should only have to pay taxes on the winnings the police are returning to him and not on the almost $2.7 million he won. The money the government keeps will go toward law enforcement purposes like equipment.
