Phil Michelson, one of the PGA's most popular golfers and one of its wealthiest players, has been linked to a money laundering plea in which a former sports gambling handicapper confessed guilt,
ESPN's "Outside the Lines" reported.
Mickelson is not under investigation and has not been charged with a crime, the sports network said. ESPN said Gregory Silveira laundered funds from a "gambling client" between February 2010 and February 2013. Two sources told ESPN's "Outside the Lines" that Mickelson was the unnamed client.
ESPN said that according to
federal court documents Silveira participated in "an illegal gambling operation which accepted and placed bets on sporting events" in March 2010 when he took a wire transfer of $2.75 million from a client.
Silveira then transferred $2.475 million and then $275,000 into another of his Wells Fargo accounts three days later. He followed up by transferring the $2.475 million to yet another account he controlled at JPMorgan Chase Bank.
"At the time, defendant initiated these three transfers with the intent to promote the carrying on of an illegal gambling operation," said Silveira's plea agreement, which was signed May 1. Sources told ESPN that Silveira received the money from Mickelson.
ESPN said that while Mickelson was never named in court documents, federal prosecutors removed a reference to "P.M." in the plea agreement when "Outside the Lines" questioned authorities about Mickelson's involvement in the Silveira's case.
"Stories about Mickelson's gambling are countless,"
wrote Kevin Draper of Deadspin.com. "The bigger surprise here is just how much money is involved, and that he’s involved with a doofus dumb enough to think that transferring millions of dollars willy nilly from bank account to bank account wouldn’t draw the attention of authorities."
ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson said Mickelson likely wasn't charged because federal gambling laws target illegal gambling businesses and not individual gamblers.
"Enacted in 1970 as part of a package of legislation known as the Organized Crime Control Act, federal gambling statutes are aimed at businesses with more than five employees and those who 'finance, manage, supervise, direct or own' them," said Munson.
"Federal prosecutors use the word 'illegal' in their description of Mickelson's money because gambling on sports is illegal under state laws except in Nevada," said Munson.