Moscow police have charged Daren Keane with organizing illegal casinos in Moscow and put other foreigners implicated in the case on the wanted list, police said.
Darren Keane, the chief executive of the Storm International gaming, was arrested on June 22 on suspicion of failing to close the Shangri La casino in downtown Moscow in violation of the Russian ban on gambling introduced in July 2009, police said.
If convicted, Keane, 43, could face up to five years in jail.
Police said a few other staff of Storm International were involved and are now on the run.
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UPDATE: Tver Court of Moscow has sentenced a citizen of Great Britain – Chief Executive Officer of International Holding Storm International Darren Keanu, who ran the largest metropolitan casino – “Shangri La”, “XO”, “Jazz Town”, “Drummer” – and a network of arcades ” Super Slots. ” He was found guilty in the creation of an underground gambling and got a penalty. Such a lenient sentence because the Englishman fully admitted guilt and cooperated with the investigation.
Born in the English town of Luton Darren Keen was arrested in the capital June 22, 2011. On this day, he came in for questioning in GUS at PG Interior Ministry in Moscow. After a three-hour meeting, investigators presented an alien charged under Part 2 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code (illegal business) and detained him. Tver Court of Moscow then chose a subject of Great Britain as a preventive measure in custody until August 22.The reason for the arrest was the fact that Keane is not a citizen of Russia, therefore, can escape.
First Englishman to questioning denied his guilt. However, in the middle of August, he suddenly decided to change its position. As the interlocutor “Rosbalt” in law enforcement, a citizen of Great Britain gave up its former lawyers, began cooperating with the investigation, confessed and told about the role in the illegal business owner Storm International, also an Englishman Michael Boettcher and his associates.
After Keane “said,” GUS GU MVD in Moscow itself was published in the Tver court for him to change the preventive measure to “house arrest”. August 18 a British citizen was released.
In November 2011 a general investigation of a clandestine casino in separate proceedings were marked with the materials for Darren Keane. In final form, he was brought milder accusations – Part 1 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code. The Englishman asked that his case was heard in a special manner, that is, without a trial. At a hearing in the Tver court, he confirmed that he fully admitted his guilt and expressed remorse at his deed. Keane has also promised never to engage in illegal activities. As a result, the judge saw fit to assign him almost the minimum penalty prescribed by this article of the Criminal Code – a fine of 150 thousand rubles. Until the entry into force of the sentence Keane will remain under house arrest.
As the “Rosbalt” a law enforcement source, the events surrounding the foreign leaders Storm International developed as follows. Until the summer of 2009 (when the ban was imposed on gaming activities), this holding company owned by the largest casinos in Moscow – “Shangri La”, “XO”, “Jazz Town”, “Drummer” – and a network of halls “Super Slots”. Then, formally, all these institutions were closed. However, the investigators found that in fact most of the casinos continue to operate in their place, only to have illegally on high secrecy.
In the iron door leading into the casinos, you can enter only by prior telephone call, and after the presentation of special customer card. In April 2011 the building of the cinema “Pushkin,” Pushkin Square, where until 2009 housed VIP-casino “Shangri La” and “XO”, broke the FSB and Economic Crimes of the Moscow police, who found there existing tables for playing roulette. GUS State Ministry of the Interior in Moscow opened a criminal case. Operatives found that a similar situation developing in areas where once there were machines “Super Slots”.
According to the source agency, shortly after the law enforcement operation, most owners of Storm International, including Michael Boettcher, left the Russian Federation. In Moscow, there was only Darren Keane, who served as chief executive officer of the international holding company.He is married to a Russian woman, the family has children, but Keane’s cottage in the suburbs.Phones were placed on the alien’s “wiretapping”, recorded all his conversations with other leaders of the Storm International