Golden – Four men have been indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury for allegedly operating a sports-gambling ring, with one man accused of bookmaking while on duty at an Arvada post office.
Named in the 42-count indictment announced today are William Burbidge, 65, of Centennial; John Mencin, 57, of Denver; Todd Lane Vaughn, 42, of Brighton, and Mark J. Evans, 38, of Arvada.
Charges include violation of Colorado’s Organized Crime Control Act, professional gambling and conspiracy.
“This isn’t just social wagering,” said Jefferson County District Attorney Scott Storey. “According to the indictments, these defendants were running a sophisticated criminal enterprise.”
Between August 2005, and September 2006, the men allegedly solicited bets on sports events and accepted wagers through a complex telephone system that included assignment of bettor-identification numbers.
Total bets reportedly placed in a single week totaled $85,000.
An undercover law enforcement officer met with Evans to process bets while Evans was on duty and in uniform as a U.S. Postal Service employee, the indictment said.
On Sept. 16, 2006, searches were conducted at Evans’ home and Vaughn’s business. The indictment states that materials such as sheets listing bettors by code names or numbers and lists of bets were seized.
The investigation was conducted by the Arvada and Lakewood police and special agents of the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service, which investigates employees alleged to have committed crimes while on duty.
Bond was set at $100,000 for each defendant. Each faces a maximum of 24 years in prison and a fine of $1 million if convicted of organized crime counts.
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
