Convicted Ex-Athlete Sentenced to 24 Months Imprisonment for Operating an Unlawful Gambling Ring
From Former MMA Fighter to Illegally Operating Bookie: Michael Frontier's Fall From Grace
Ex-MMA fighter Michael Frontier, now a convicted illegal bookmaker, is facing a 2-year stretch in prison, despite his claims of a reformed life, according to reports by The Chicago Tribune. His unlicensed gambling operation reportedly had ties with local Mafia groups.
At 39, a "clairvoyant, intuitive life coach, reiki master, reflexologist, and keynote speaker", as per his LinkedIn profile, Frontier admitted to serving as an illegal bookmaker from 2015 to 2016.
The Chicago native's case is intricately linked to the Chicago Outfit's Elmwood Park and Grand Avenue street crews**. According to the lawsuit, Frontier's gambling operations targeted big players in the Outfit's gambling circles.
The FBI's wiretaps reveal conversations between Frontier and his associates regarding his operations and threats of violence towards delinquent gamblers. One such gambler who missed a payment was directed to a moneylender. However, when he met with the moneylender, he was brutally beaten by several men.
In a surprising twist, Frontier filed for bankruptcy in 2015, despite reportedly earning big money through his illegal gambling operations. This move was aimed at helping him evade paying a $1.5 million civil judgment due to a motorcycle accident.
At his sentencing on Friday, Frontier apologized to US District Judge John Robert Blakey. He asserted that he has changed and quit his involvement in illegal gambling in 2016, before he knew he was under investigation. He expressed his hope for a second chance as he's now a "whole different person".
Frontier's lawyer added that he is currently working an honest job and is expecting his first child. Despite his ties to the Mafia, Frontier avoided being accused of being a Mafia member himself.
This case is part of a broader investigation into the Chicago Outfit. The Chicago Outfit, historically known as the Chicago Mafia, has been notorious for criminal enterprises such as illegal gambling, loansharking, and extortion since the 1920s. Though the Outfit doesn't have a monopoly on Chicago organized crime, it remains one of the largest and most powerful criminal organizations in the Midwest, exerting influence in areas beyond Chicago.
Frontier was not formally accused of being a Mafia member, but his ties to the criminal organization highlight the Outfit's reliance on associates like Frontier in their illicit enterprises instead of formally inducting them into the Mafia family.
- The gambling trends surrounding the fall from grace of Michael Frontier, the former MMA fighter turned illegal bookie, have drawn attention in the general news, as they shed light on the continued involvement of organized crime in casino-and-gambling activities.
- The case of Michael Frontier, a former MMA fighter who was a convicted illegal bookmaker, intertwines with crime-and-justice issues, as it demonstrates the Chicago Outfit's reliance on associates like Frontier in their sports betting operations, a reminder of the Mafia's historic and ongoing influence in illegal gambling circles.
