Boxing Promoter Pleads Guilty in Federal Court
Las Vegas, Nev. - A boxing promoter who arranged "fixed" fights and paid money to an undercover officer to influence a federal prosecutor and judge, has pleaded guilty to felony bribery charges, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
On April 16, 2004, ROBERT MITTLEMAN, age 61, of Oak Park, Illinois, waived Indictment and pleaded guilty to a Criminal Information charging two counts of Sports Bribery and one count of Bribery of a Public Official. The Information and Plea Memorandum had been sealed until last week.
In his Guilty Plea Memorandum, MITTLEMAN admitted that on March 31, 2000, at the request of Mogens Palle, a Danish boxing promoter, he contacted professional boxer Thomas Williams, aka Top Dog, and made arrangements for Williams to lose a boxing match with Brian Nielson in Denmark. Williams and MITTLEMAN traveled to Denmark for the boxing match, and Williams lost to Nielson in the third round. MITTLEMAN was paid $1,000 to arrange the "fix," and Williams was paid up to $40,000 by Palle for losing the fight.
MITTLEMAN admitted that in July 2000, at the request of boxing promoter Robert Mitchell, he arranged for boxer Thomas Williams, aka Top Dog, to lose a boxing match on August 12, 2000, against Richie Melito, Jr. in Las Vegas. Williams and MITTLEMAN traveled to Las Vegas for the match, and Williams lost to Melito, Jr. in the first round. MITTLEMAN was paid $1,000 to arrange the "fix," and Williams was paid up to $15,000 for losing the fight.
MITTLEMAN further admitted that on October 30, 2003, knowing that boxer Thomas Williams had been indicted in United States District Court in Nevada on federal sports bribery charges, he contacted an undercover officer in Las Vegas and offered $15,000 to bribe an Assistant United States Attorney and United States District Judge to cause the case against Williams to be dismissed. On December 12, 2003, MITTLEMAN made a down payment of $3,000 to the undercover officer.
ROBERT MITTLEMAN is scheduled for sentencing on July 26, 2004, before U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones. He is facing up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the Sports Bribery charge, and up to 15 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on the Bribery of a Public Official charge. The defendant is released on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing. The case was investigated by Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Johnson and Kathleen Bliss.
