Highland Park man who ran illegal sportsbook sent to prison

Daily Herald correspondent

A Highland Park man butcher who ran an illegal sports bookmaking business was sentenced to a year in federal prison Monday.

Domenic Poeta, 63, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of transmitting wagering information and one count of filing a false tax return, according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District of Illinois.

During the five years noted in Poeta's indictment, he reported about $50,000 in taxable income from his butcher business and paid about $7,000 in federal income taxes. One year, he reported less than $12,000 in income and yet was able to buy a $1.5 million home in Highland Park.

• The Associated Press contributed to this report.