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Donald Trump pardons Casey Urlacher, brother of Bears great Brian Urlacher, in sports gambling case

In one of his final acts before leaving office on Wednesday, President Donald Trump pardoned Casey Urlacher, brother of Chicago Bears great Brian Urlacher.

Casey Urlacher, the mayor of the small suburban town of Mettawa, Illinois, was charged last year, along with several others, as a participant in an alleged sports gambling ring that could have led to federal prison time. Urlacher was accused of helping alleged ringleader Vincent “Uncle Mick” DelGiudice run an illegal multimillion dollar sports gambling ring while tracking down gabling debts. The ring involved up to 1,000 gamblers.

Urlacher pleaded not guilty to one count of participating in the gambling conspiracy and one count of running an illegal gambling business.

Casey’s more famous brother may have something to do with his pardon. Brian visited the White House in March 2020, not long after Casey was indicted, and spoke privately to Trump. That prompted speculation that he was lobbying Trump to pardon Casey for his alleged crimes.

The White House released a statement about Urlacher’s pardon on Wednesday.

President Trump granted a full pardon to Casey Urlacher. This pardon is supported by his friends and family, and countless members of his community. Mr. Urlacher has been charged with conspiracy to engage in illegal gambling. Throughout his life, Mr. Urlacher has been committed to public service and has consistently given back to his community. Currently, Mr. Urlacher serves as the unpaid Mayor of Mettawa, Illinois. He is a devoted husband to his wife and a loving father to his 17-month old daughter.

Bears great Brian Urlacher met with President Donald Trump in March 2020, which may have led to his brother Casey's pardon on illegal gambling charges. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Bears great Brian Urlacher met with President Donald Trump in March 2020, which may have led to his brother Casey's pardon on illegal gambling charges. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

Urlacher was charged with nine other people in connection to the illegal sports gambling ring. He was the only one Trump pardoned. The rest of the co-defendants are still facing charges.

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