The son of slain suburban wagering boss Hal C. Smith and threebusiness associates were charged yesterday with failing to pay incometaxes on income from their alleged betting activities.
Michael J. Smith, 29, of McHenry, was one of four men named incriminal informations announced by IRS criminal division chief JamesM. Bittman and the U.S. attorney's office after a three-yearinvestigation.
The others were Dennis R. Harding, 39, of Wauconda; Gerald OwenMader, 50, of Hodgkins, and Charles Mulberg, 40, of Cleveland.
They face maximum two-year jail terms and fines of $35,000 to$50,000 if they are convicted. They reportedly took wagers over thephone for Hal Smith's mammoth betting network, sources said.
The tax evasion charges stem from records seized in 1983Internal Revenue Service raids, which authorities believe led to theelder Smith's mob-style killing last year.
During one of the raids, IRS agents found a record $606,600 insuspected illegal wagers in a gym bag at Hal Smith's Prospect Heightshome. They later uncovered evidence of a gambling operation thatgrossed an estimated $140 million a year, authorities said.
The size of the operation reportedly also surprised mob bosses,who were supposed to be getting a percentage of Smith's profits.Police discovered Hal Smith's body Feb. 10, 1985, in the trunk of acar parked at an Arlington Heights hotel. He had been beaten and histhroat was slashed.
The $606,600 in cash and a Cadillac seized by the IRS wereforfeited by Hal Smith's estate in probate proceedings last year.
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