Former Flyer pleads guilty in gambling case

Former Flyers star Rick Tocchet yesterday admitted that he partnered with a New Jersey state trooper to run what authorities allege was a million-dollar bookmaking operation taking bets on professional and college football and basketball.

But the one-time standout right winger said the ring never took any action on professional hockey - a key issue if Tocchet, 43, hopes to resume his career as a coach in the NHL.

Tocchet's admission came during a plea hearing before Superior Court Judge Thomas Smith Jr. in Mount Holly.

Under a plea agreement with the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, Tocchet pleaded guilty to conspiracy to promote gambling and to promoting gambling, offenses that each carry a maximum five-year prison sentence and $25,000 fine.

But Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades said there was a "presumption of non-incarceration" in the case because of the low level of the offenses and because Tocchet had no prior criminal record.

Tocchet is to be sentenced on Aug. 22. Neither Eliades nor Gregory Paw, director of the Attorney General's Division of Criminal Justice, would comment on whether the state would ask for jail time. Paw said his office had not determined what position it would take.

Tocchet's two codefendants in the case, who have pleaded guilty and who have cooperated with authorities, both face prison sentences. In addition, the former trooper, James Harney, 40, had to forfeit $700,000 in cash and property. There was no mention of forfeiture in Tocchet's criminal charge.

Tocchet, dressed in a dark blue business suit, white shirt and blue tie, appeared in court with his lawyer, Kevin Marino, at his side.

During the 15-minute hearing, he answered a series of questions posed by Smith with "yes, your honor" and "no, your honor." Most of the questions were aimed at determining if he understood the nature of the deal and was voluntarily agreeing to plead guilty.

Then, under questioning from Marino, Tocchet admitted that he partnered with Harney in a bookmaking operation from September 2002 through February 2006 and that each shared in the profits.

The state alleges that the ring processed $1.7 million in bets during one 40-day period that included the Super Bowl and the college bowl games.

Authorities also allege that on Jan. 1, 2006, the operation took 17 bets totaling $40,000 on professional football games from one customer.

While authorities have never identified who placed wagers with the betting ring, sources have said regular customers included a recognizable list of professional athletes and celebrities, including former Flyer Jeremy Roenick and actress Janet Jones, the wife of hockey icon Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky is now the coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Tocchet was his assistant.

Paw and Eliades said yesterday that while the state knows the identity of many of the bettors - described as friends and associates of Tocchet - none has been publicly identified and none will be charged.

Tocchet declined to comment as he left the courthouse with Marino after the hearing.

Marino said his client was "pleased with the resolution of the case." He also said it was "vital" to get on the record the fact that there were no bets placed on professional hockey.

When asked why, Marino replied that state officials had insinuated as much when they began the investigation, dubbed "Operation Slapshot."

"There was a suggestion that this was an organized crime-connected hockey [betting] ring," Marino said.

During his plea hearing in August, Harney described how he routinely would give Tocchet "a bag of cash" from the gambling operation's profits and said Tocchet would supply the funds to cover losses.

Harney, who sometimes booked bets over the phone while on patrol in a police cruiser, said the bookmaking operation focused on professional and college football and basketball. He also said that contrary to earlier reports, the operation was not tied to organized crime.

Yesterday, Marino said it was important to emphasize that and also to underscore that there were no bets placed on hockey games. Tocchet was forced to take a leave from his job as assistant coach of the Coyotes when the gambling charges were filed in February 2006.

Marino would not comment on what effect the plea would have on Tocchet's ability to resume his career in the NHL.

"We have not yet spoken to the NHL," Marino said. "We expect to do so at a later date."

Tocchet reportedly met Harney nearly 20 years ago, while he was playing for the Flyers and Harney was working as a bartender in a hotel near the South Philadelphia sports complex.

Tocchet starred for the Flyers in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1991-92 season. His career also included stops in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Phoenix before he returned to the Flyers in 1999.

He retired as a player after the 2001-02 season. At the time, he was only the second player in NHL history to have scored 400 goals and collected 2,000 penalty minutes.