A Florida man has pleaded guilty to operating an illegal sports gambling business, conspiring to commit money laundering, using a facility of ‘interstate commerce’ to carry on prostitution services, and tax evasion.
As part of his guilty plea, Dion De Cesare, 53, of West Palm Beach, has agreed to forfeit two commercial properties, five condos, six vehicles, a Rolex watch, and approximately $93,000 in criminal proceeds to the United States.
During a hearing, De Cesare admitted that he owned two social clubs from April 2008 to November 2022: Whispers All Girls Staff and NXT.
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During various times, the businesses provided an array of prostitution services regularly to their customers.
De Cesare collected the proceeds from those businesses and laundered them through third-party bank accounts and the payment of mortgages and expenses owed on several of his properties in West Palm Beach.
De Cesare also admitted that from about May 20, 2015, to October 2022, De Cesare also operated an online sports gambling business through a website whose server was located in Costa Rica.
De Cesare laundered the gambling proceeds by having the gamblers send their debt payments to third-party individuals and entities for De Cesare’s benefit.
Finally, De Cesare admitted that from 2011 to 2017, he owned Renegades, a restaurant and nightclub in West Palm Beach.
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Between 2011 and 2013 and from 2015 to 2016, De Cesare failed to pay personal and payroll taxes. De Cesare has agreed to pay $1,177,438.65 in restitution to the IRS.
De Cesare is scheduled to be sentenced before United States District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg later this year. He faces 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge, and five years on the gambling, prostitution, and tax charges. In total, De Cesare is facing a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison, 12 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine – all in addition to restitution.
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