Thomas Vanek (30) a professional Austrian ice hockey star who has been playing for Canadian and US teams, has appeared in a federal court in New York in connection with an online gambling prosecution launched earlier this year against Paul Borrelli and Joseph Ruff (see previous reports).
The hockey ace’s agent, Steve Bartlett, released a statement to the Toronto Star on Vanek’s behalf, advising:
“Representatives of the U.S. Federal Government have asked for my cooperation in an investigation. I am not the subject of any investigation or prosecution. I will fully cooperate with the U.S. Federal authorities in their investigation or in any proceedings arising out of it.”
Bartlett emphasised that Vanek was not under suspicion in the case, which refers to illegal online sports betting at the Marina Restaurant and Bar in Rochester, N.Y.