MONROE - A Monroe man stood mute Monday, May 21, on charges in Green County Circuit Court that he took bets in a local gambling ring and used his tavern as the exchange location for money won or owed.
The court entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Jeffrey "Twitty" Conway, 52, on eight Class I felony counts of commercial gambling.
The charges stem from a long-term state investigation into commercial gambling in Monroe that led to the arrest of another Monroe man, Werner J. Rast, 50, and to alleged gambling activity at Conway's business, Old Smokey's Bar, 1301 17th St.
Conway surrendered himself to police in early April.
The investigation began in 2007 and eventually linked Rast and Conway as ringleaders in a gambling operation, which reportedly involved taking thousands of dollars in wagers on college basketball and pro football games from dozens of area people, often under nicknames like "Yogi" or "Thunder," at a fee of 10 percent on all lost bets.
More than a dozen local men admitted to placing bets with the gambling ring in 2005, 2006 or 2007, according to criminal complaints against Conway and Rast.
The state is constrained in how deeply it can prosecute the case, however. The statute of limitations for gambling charges is six years for a felony and three years for a misdemeanor, according to Dana Brueck, communications officer at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Many of the men who admitted to gambling said the betting stopped as soon as word of the investigation spread in late 2007. This timeframe puts many with reported involvement beyond the reach of the law, particularly on misdemeanor gambling charges.
Conway has a status conference by phone set for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 3.
The court entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Jeffrey "Twitty" Conway, 52, on eight Class I felony counts of commercial gambling.
The charges stem from a long-term state investigation into commercial gambling in Monroe that led to the arrest of another Monroe man, Werner J. Rast, 50, and to alleged gambling activity at Conway's business, Old Smokey's Bar, 1301 17th St.
Conway surrendered himself to police in early April.
The investigation began in 2007 and eventually linked Rast and Conway as ringleaders in a gambling operation, which reportedly involved taking thousands of dollars in wagers on college basketball and pro football games from dozens of area people, often under nicknames like "Yogi" or "Thunder," at a fee of 10 percent on all lost bets.
More than a dozen local men admitted to placing bets with the gambling ring in 2005, 2006 or 2007, according to criminal complaints against Conway and Rast.
The state is constrained in how deeply it can prosecute the case, however. The statute of limitations for gambling charges is six years for a felony and three years for a misdemeanor, according to Dana Brueck, communications officer at the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Many of the men who admitted to gambling said the betting stopped as soon as word of the investigation spread in late 2007. This timeframe puts many with reported involvement beyond the reach of the law, particularly on misdemeanor gambling charges.
Conway has a status conference by phone set for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 3.