Fight-fixer implicates boxer, promoter in bribery trial

Jace Radke

Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004 | 10:22 a.m.

Convicted fight-fixer Richard Mittleman took the stand in a federal sports bribery trial Wednesday and testified that a fight at Paris Las Vegas on Aug. 12, 2000, was rigged.

Boxer Thomas Williams and his promoter, Robert "Bobby" Mitchell, both accused of sports bribery, listened as Mittleman implicated them in a fight-fixing scheme that resulted in Williams allegedly taking a dive against Richard Melito Jr.

"Mitchell did not want a real fight," Mittleman said. "He wanted someone who would lay down for Melito."

Mittleman had some heated exchanges Wednesday with Federal Deputy Public Defender Kevin Tate, who tried to poke holes in Mittleman's credibility.

Tate pointed out that Mittleman had told the grand jury that he did not know how large a purse he had arranged for a Williams fight in Denmark and during the trial testified that the purse was about $10,000.

The trial is in its second week and is expected to last at least another week. According to an August 2001 indictment, Mitchell and others arranged for some of Melito's fights to be fixed, including the fight with Williams in Las Vegas.

Mittleman, 61, of Oak Park, Ill., is cooperating with federal prosecutors, and pleaded guilty to helping to fix the Melito fight, as well as a Williams fight in Denmark in March 2000 against Brian Nielson. In addition, Mittleman admitted to attempting to bribe an assistant U.S. attorney and a federal judge to try to get the indictment against Williams dropped.

Tate made note of the fact that Mittleman has not yet been sentenced, so his sentence is hanging in the balance while he testifies.

Mittleman admitted to talking with newspaper reporters while in Athens, Greece, during the Olympics and telling the reporters that he hoped he would not have to do any prison time for his crimes.

"I hope not to do any prison time, but no promises were made to me," Mittleman said.

Tate also pointed out that Mittleman had applied for a cornerman's license in Nevada in January 2003 before his sports bribery convictions. The application for the license showed that Mittleman had denied ever being convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony despite two prior misdemeanor convictions.

When Tate asked if Mittleman had lied on the application under penalties of perjury, Mittleman said that he had.