Absolute Poker Co-Founder Brent Beckley Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison

Co-founder of Absolute Poker Brent Beckley was sentenced on Monday in connection with his role in the Black Friday indictments of April 15, 2011. Appearing before Judge Lewis Caplan, Beckley was sentenced to 14th months in prison. Beckley pleaded guilty back in December to Conspiracy to Commit Bank and Wire Fraud.

When handing down his sentence on Monday, Judge Kaplan stated that “..the sentence has to make clear that the government of the United States means business in these types of cases.” Beckley was quoted as saying that he fooled himself into thinking what he was doing was OK.

Judge Kaplan was scheduled to sentence Beckley earlier this year, but that sentencing was delayed as Kaplan was considering an upward adjustment to the 12-18 month standard sentence. In the end, he still stuck within those guidelines in handing down the 14 month sentence.

Beckley is the second Black Friday defendant to be sentenced. Former SunFirst Bank vice-chairman John Campos was sentenced to three months in prison last month after pleading out to a misdemeanor charge of illegal gambling. Chad Elie and Ira Rubin have both reached plea agreements as well but have not yet been sentenced.