Outgoing President Donald Trump issued several pardons in his final hours in office, and Casey Urlacher was among them.
The younger brother of Chicago Bears legend Brian Urlacher, Casey Urlacher had been charged with conspiracy and running an illegal gambling business.
Feds indicted Urlacher in February, and he faced a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Urlacher worked as a recruiter for Uncle Mick Sports and was one of 10 people charged. He allegedly received a cut of bettors’ losses and helped them move money to a Costa Rican-based site.
Brian Urlacher, an avid Trump supporter, reportedly met with the President at the White House in March.
The White House issued the following statement regarding Casey Urlacher:
“President Trump granted a full pardon to Casey Urlacher. This pardon is supported by his friends and family, and countless members of his community. Mr. Urlacher has been charged with conspiracy to engage in illegal gambling. Throughout his life, Mr. Urlacher has been committed to public service and has consistently given back to his community. Currently, Mr. Urlacher serves as the unpaid Mayor of Mettawa, Illinois. He is a devoted husband to his wife and a loving father to his 17-month old daughter.”
In total, Trump pardoned 73 people. He also commuted another 70 sentences.
How big of a role did Urlacher play in the scheme? ABC legal analyst Gil Soffer said at the time of the charges:
“He wasn’t at the top of the pyramid here, but he was very much important, it seems, in the operation of the enterprise, as charged in this indictment. There’s a lot of money trading hands. It is, in some ways, an old time gambling operation but using the internet.”
What about other defendants in Urlacher case?
While Urlacher won’t suffer any consequences for his alleged actions, the same can’t be said of his fellow defendants.
One man involved in the case, Eugene “Geno” DelGiudice, has already been sentenced.
DelGiudice, 85, received a year of probation and three months of home detention.
While his role in the scheme was considered to be less than Urlacher’s, it looked like a pretty light sentencing at the time, which is good news for everyone involved.
Still, several may go to prison, whereas Urlacher will not.
Going into his trial, DelGiudice faced up to five years in prison. With that said, prosecutors noted that due to his age and health, he would be at severe risk if he were to contract COVID-19.
DelGiudice is the father of Vincent DelGiudice, who led the operation.
The younger DelGiudice allegedly paid more than $10,000 per month to run the website. Federal agents searched his home in 2019 and found nearly $1.1 million in cash in addition to silver bars and jewelry.
Casey Urlacher background
Prior to his alleged involvement in the illegal gambling scheme, Urlacher played college football at Lake Forest College.
He lived with his older brother in Lake Bluff between 2000-03.
Urlacher played for the Arena Football League’s Chicago Rush in 2004 before retiring from football in 2005. He also tried out for the Bears, but didn’t make the roster.
In 2013, he won the Mayor’s race in Mettawa, earning 61% of the vote. Urlacher also ran for State Senate in 2016, but lost to Dan McConchie.
