Update in A-League betting scandal
Ex-Bulls teammates Ulises Davila, Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus were arrested last year for betting corruption linked to a South American criminal figure.
Former Macarthur FC captain Davila, is facing a string of nine charges relating to a total of six A-League games.
Among those charges are four counts of facilitating conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event, three counts of engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event, knowingly/recklessly directing a criminal group and participating in a criminal group/ contribute to criminal activity.
He has not yet entered any pleas.
Lewis and Baccus were both charged with one count each of engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event and participating in a criminal group.
Lewis and Baccus attended the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, and both pleaded guilty to engaging in conduct that corrupts the betting outcome of an event.
That charges carries a maximum penalty of ten years' jail, Magistrate Rami Attia reminded the two men in court on Thursday.
The second charge of participating in a criminal group/ contribute to criminal activity was withdrawn.
Lewis had previously pleaded not guilty, however, after ongoing negotiations with the DPP, those pleas were withdrawn.
Their co-accused, Mr Davila, did not attend and has not entered any plea.
Following Mr Davila's arrest the soccer player was alleged to have organised to manipulate yellow cards against Melbourne Victory on November 24 and against Sydney FC on December 9 in 2023.
Mr Davila and the club agreed to a 'mutual termination' of his contract following his arrest.
It is alleged Lewis and Baccus were paid up to $10,000 by Mr Davila, who was directed by a South American contact.
All three players remain on bail.
Lewis and Baccus will return to court for sentencing on September 17. Davila will return to court in August.
More to come …
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jett Cleary's try-saving play
Nathan's younger brother steps up to help Warriors continue winning streak in NSW Cup. Source: NRL / Knock on Effect NSW Cup We're up and about here, the Magpies, and after what we saw in the Jersey Fleet Cup yesterday, who knows? On the outside comes Isaac doing too, what's the kick through, and Christian Mapapaangi coming through, but Jack Clery manages to get a hand on it to knock it dead. The Warriors do hang on.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Childcare group faces second fire in four days
A childcare centre operator is dealing with a second suspicious fire in less than a week. An automatic alarm alerted authorities to a blaze at Play to Learn Early Learning Centre's Castle Hill centre in Sydney's northwest early on Monday morning. It followed a fire at Play to Learn's Turramurra facility on Friday the childcare operators labelled a suspected arson attack. Minimal damage was recorded in both fires, with an automatic system protecting the Castle Hill facility when firefighters arrived at 1.30 am on Monday. "Firefighters arrived to find a childcare centre which had an installed fire sprinkler system activated," Fire and Rescue NSW Acting Superintendent Mathew Sigmund said. "(We) gained entry to the building and located what had previously been a fire, which had been extinguished by the installed fire sprinkler system." Firefighters ventilated the building before handing the scene to police. There were no injuries in either fire while in Friday's incident, the centre sustained fire damage to its foyer and outside, along with smoke damage throughout. Operators of the childcare centre said a CCTV system captured the incident and they would work closely with police on the investigation. Play to Learn Founder and director Jade Luci said the alleged arson was senseless and had left the community heartbroken. "We have no concerns about safety when our families return, and we look forward to welcoming them back to a centre that remains as safe, nurturing, and connected as ever," she said. Play to Learn has operated for 19 years and runs three centres across NSW. Its Turramurra location opened less than two months ago.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Four-match launch pad for Ashes hopefuls
The Australian summer of cricket will start in mid-spring with a September 16 launch for the domestic one-day cup leading to the Sheffield Shield final 191 days later. But crucially, Cricket Australia has confirmed there will be four rounds of Sheffield Shield matches before the first Ashes Test in November, giving ample opportunity for hopefuls to press their case amid top-order struggles in the West Indies. Not only will there be four Shield games before the opening Test in Perth, there will be a round of day-night matches, including one at the Gabba, which will host the pink-ball Ashes showdown. That Shield exposure could prove crucial practice for the Australian batters who were all out for just 225 under lights in the first innings of the final Test against the West Indies in Jamaica and slumped to 3-28 in the second innings after teenager Sam Konstas made a duck. The full package of Australian domestic games was confirmed on Monday with the highlights including: • Four rounds of Sheffield Shield matches before the NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes series • A day-night round of Shield, including a match at the Gabba immediately prior to the D/N Gabba Test • South Australia to begin their Shield defence at Adelaide Oval on October 4 against Victoria The domestic summer will begin with a suite of one-day games, six all-up before the first round of the Sheffield Shield kicks off in the first week of October. 'Leading into perhaps Australia's biggest ever summer of cricket, we are delighted to announce the schedule for our domestic competitions, where the depth and evenness of our teams remains very high,' CA head of cricket operations and scheduling Peter Roach said. 'With so much domestic cricket being played before our home marquee men's and women's international fixtures, the opportunities for players to perform and put their name forward has never been greater. We are also sure to see many Australian team regulars turning out for their state teams as part of their preparation. 'We are confident that scheduling games at a mixture of major stadiums and smaller venues will provide the best possible experiences for players and fans.'
