David Carruthers withdraws guilty plea

[The Buzz]

In a surprise decision yesterday, former BetOnSports CEO David Carruthers withdrew his "guilty" plea just days before he was going to be sentenced in U.S. court for racketeering.

Carruthers has been on house arrest in Missouri since 2006. A change of plea hearing has been set for October 16.

From The Guardian:

The reason for Carruthers's apparent change of heart is unclear. Neither Carruthers nor his lawyer, Scott Rosenblum, responded to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for the US attorney's office in St Louis said prosecutors would not discuss the case. Several other Betonsports executives are still pleading guilty, including the company's founder, Gary Kaplan.

The development will come as a surprise to Carruthers's supporters who had hoped that he would be allowed to return home on Friday. His lawyers were expected to argue that the 52-year-old businessman has effectively served his agreed sentence of 33 months through his hotel confinement on $1m bail since August 2006.

[Shaun O'neill]

I do not understand what David is doing this really makes no sense.

Shaun

[eaton2003]

Maybe he was explained the guilty plea incorrectly and thought by agreeing to a plea of guilty would put it down to time served and he would be released soon after the plea. I guess now things have been explained to him differently and the guilty plea would mean an entire fresh new set of years behind bars for him and the time he has served in the states thus far mean nothing.

[Shaun O'neill]

Not the brightest one in the pack.....

Shaun

Maybe he was explained the guilty plea incorrectly and thought by agreeing to a plea of guilty would put it down to time served and he would be released soon after the plea. I guess now things have been explained to him differently and the guilty plea would mean an entire fresh new set of years behind bars for him and the time he has served in the states thus far mean nothing.

[vinism]

I think there are two likely scenarios:

1. He realized that regardless of whether he went to trial and was convicted or he agreed to the plea deal that he would only be sentenced to time served, and couldn't stomach pleading guilty if that was the case.

2. They asked to him to reveal some information that he didn't want to reveal. Carruthers said no, the feds said you have to under the plea deal, and Carruthers changed his plea.

[Anthony]

I would tend to say scenario 2. There is something going on that we are not aware of. David Carruthers is an intelligent man, he or his attorney wouldn't do something stupid or spur of the moment, we just don't have all the facts.

[casinojack]

He is VERY intelligent, we are missing something that i am sure will make sense later..

[Doolally]

This one is certainly turning into something more interesting that I first thought. Could be the start of something big!