Aid in solving case pays off for gaming board

Cathy Scott

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 | 10:19 a.m.

A bookmaking case against a Reno man who has since died reaped more than $500,000 cash for the government.

So Bobby Siller, special agent in charge of the FBI's Las Vegas bureau, on Tuesday handed over more than $322,000 to the Gaming Control Board because of its help in shutting down the illegal gambling business.

"The emphasis here is on the teamwork accomplished in investigating this case," Siller said during a news conference at the FBI's headquarters on East Charleston Boulevard. "This money represents the gaming board's work in this case."

Keith Copher, chief of enforcement for the Control Board, accepted a U.S. Treasury check for $322,153.14.

The case is a historical one because it dates back to 1991 and took until this year to settle, Siller said.

"I think it's an important case because we are taking funds that were used for illegal gaming and giving them back to the public to fight more crime," Siller said.

Copher said the money would be used for equipment by law enforcement with the gaming commission board.

In the spring of 1991, an investigation revealed that Larry James Smith was a well-known figure in Reno sports books, Siller said.

"Information provided by the Nevada Gaming Control Board determined that Smith controlled a network of gambling activities involving various sports book-type betting which through the use of runners extended into Las Vegas and the Dominican Republic," Siller said.

In 1992, after doing surveillance on runners inside casinos, the FBI and the Control Board served 16 search warrants in Reno and Las Vegas, Siller said. The warrants were executed on telephone locations, residences, casino telephone accounts and safe deposit boxes. Recovered were gambling-related documents, ledgers, books, cash, betting chips and betting slips.

The currency recovered totaled more than $550,000, Siller said.

Forfeiture proceedings were initiated against the currency. But before Smith was indicted and charged in the case, he died from a heart attack, Siller said. Benefactors of Smith's estate appealed the forfeiture court order. That order was recently reinstated and finalized and the money returned to the FBI, Siller said.