Pick six suspect pleads guilty

NEW YORK - Chris Harn of Newark, Del., one of three men accused of manipulating computerized bets worth $3 million in last month's Breeders' Cup pick six, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Harn, who appeared Wednesday morning in United States district court in White Plains, N.Y., implicated two former fraternity brothers, Derrick Davis of Baltimore and Glen DaSilva of Manhattan, in saying he had "placed a bet and later modified it so it would win," according to the AP. All three men are 29.

Harn, a comuter programmer, was fired Oct. 30 from Autotote, the company that processed the bets on the Breeders' Cup and other races. The pick six bets and other bets were placed by telephone through Catskill OTB in upstate New York.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith said Harn could face up to 25 years in prison, but added that the government had reached an understanding that would point to a much lighter sentence, the AP reported.

Harn was allowed to remain free on $200,000 bond pending his Feb. 19 sentencing. His two co-defendants were both due back in court Dec. 11.

The three were named in a criminal complaint last week on a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which on conviction carries a prison term of up to five years.

The former Drexel University fraternity brothers, members of Tau Kappa Epsilon, surrendered to the FBI last week. At the time, lawyers for all three said they would be cleared of wrongdoing.

At his 40-minute court appearance Wednesday, the A.P. reported, Harn acknowledged using money made with manipulated tickets to pay off a car loan and a second mortgage on his house. The scam began a year ago, he said.

To keep authorities from noticing the large cash winnings, the A.P. reported, Harn said he engaged in a practice called "smurfing" - making small, less-noticeable bank deposits.