ProgressOhio

When asked about his arrest for illegal bookmaking, Dan Gilbert compared it to trading NFL cards. It was not.

He said "no money was exchanged.'' Interesting turn of a phrase.

John Fielder,  the undercover detective who wore the wire that lead to Dan Gilbert's arrest, wants Ohio voters to have all the facts. He wants them to know about he physical threats made to victims who could not pay . He wants them to know about the ledger book that kept track of the bets.

He wants you to hear the whole story.

Watch It:

Detective Fiedler's Full Statement Below:

My name is John Fielder, and I was a member of the Michigan Department of State Police for 25 years.

In 1981, while I was a Detective Lieutenant in charge of the organized crime unit, the East Lansing Police asked my unit to assist them with a criminal investigation into an illegal bookmaking operation that eventually led to the arrest of Dan Gilbert.

I have heard Mr. Gilbert’s explanation of what happened that day. I’m here to tell you what really happened.

East Lansing Police received a complaint from a young man who owed a significant amount of money to the bookies. It was over $1000 but I cannot remember the exact amount.

After interviewing the victim, I had him call and say that his father planned to pay his debt and arrange a meeting between the bookies and his dad.  I posed as the young man’s father and entered an off-campus house where I met two men. One of them was Dan Gilbert, and Dan Gilbert did all the talking.

I was wearing a hidden microphone and transmitter and I asked him why he believed that my “son” owed him so much money. The other man left the room and returned with a ledger. He showed me all of the bets that he had made – and I got to see lists of bets that others had made. I do not remember the number of bets but several pages of the ledger book were filled.

There were $10 bets, $100 bets and even some $1,000 bets.

The victim had personally told me that Mr. Gilbert had grabbed him and pushed him up against the wall. Another police officer who worked on the case said one victim who did not pay had his car filled with manure and a threatening note left in it.

I asked Dan Gilbert why he felt the need to threaten my “son” and he told me that he was owed the money and my “son” refused to pay.

I paid him the money, signaled to the East Lancing Police, and they entered the house and arrested both men.

I understand that the voters of Ohio have a big decision to make on Tuesday. When I learned Dan Gilbert’s characterization of what happened back in 1981, I agreed to tell the people of Ohio what really transpired. Dan Gilbert was part of a serious, organized bookmaking ring that threatened some of its victims with violence.

I am also here today because I learned that some members of Ohio’s law enforcement community believe that Issue 3 would severely limit the scope and authority of law enforcement to police owners and investors of Ohio’s casinos. Based on my police experience in investigating organized crime figures, I completely agree with concerns raised by the Ohio law enforcement community. Casinos are the type of industry that demands tough, impartial and complete oversight.

I am not here to tell Ohio voters how to vote on Issue 3. I am here to try and make sure Ohio voters have the facts they need to make an informed choice.