Update
WICHITA — A federal magistrate has spared a Wichita businessman prison time after he pleaded guilty for his role in concealing the transfer of betting information from illegal poker games.
Brandon Steven was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation and 200 hours of community service. He also forfeited nearly $1.1 million as part of a plea deal on one misdemeanor count of being an accessory after the fact to the transmission of wagering information.
Prosecutors say Steven assisted a person prevent apprehension, trial or punishment related to illegal gambling.
Defense attorney James Hobbs told the judge his client would not disappoint the court.
Original
A prominent Wichita businessman has been charged with a misdemeanor count of transmission of wagering information.
The case against Brandon Steven was unsealed Tuesday just hours before a plea hearing in federal court in Wichita. Prosecutors had filed a sealed criminal information last week accusing Steven of assisting a person, only as D.F., in order to prevent apprehension, trial or punishment.
His defense attorney did not immediately return a message when AP reached out for comment.
Steven and his brother are partners in Genesis Health Clubs, auto dealerships and other enterprises including the Wichita Thunder hockey team. He told the Wichita Eagle last year he was the subject of a federal inquiry into his playing of high-stakes poker and his involvement in trying to open a Kansas casino.
It is unclear whether the misdemeanor charge he now faces relates to that gambling probe .
