Two former A-League players who deliberately received yellow cards in exchange for $10,000 have escaped a conviction on their criminal records. Ex-Macarthur Bulls duo Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis will serve a two-year conditional release order, similar to a good behaviour bond, after being sentenced in Sydney on Wednesday.
They will also be required to repay the $10,000 they received for intentionally getting the yellow cards in December 2023, which will be imposed as a fine.
The pair were described by magistrate Michael Blair at the Central Local Court as being “right at the bottom of the scheme,” which was allegedly orchestrated by their then-captain, Ulises Davila.
The charges relate to a Macarthur game against Sydney FC on December 9, 2023, during which bets were placed on the Bulls receiving at least four yellow cards. Winning payouts for the bets placed in South America through the gambling site Betplay, and allegedly orchestrated by Davila, totaled more than $167,000.
According to the agreed facts, Davila recruited Lewis due to his history of gambling addiction, offering him “a little bit of extra coin.” Magistrate Blair found no evidence that Baccus and Lewis were aware of the wagers being placed on their actions or of how much they would be paid.
In submissions, lawyers for Baccus and Lewis emphasized the uneven power dynamic between them and Davila, stating that the captain was “not only the captain of the team, but the captain of the scheme.”
Following their arrests, all three players were suspended by Macarthur FC. Davila and Baccus have since been released from their contracts, with Baccus now working as a truck driver.
The prosecution had argued that Baccus should receive a harsher sentence because he attempted to conceal his payment from Davila by describing it as a car purchase. However, Magistrate Blair disagreed, stating that both men committed low-level offences.
Davila, who is accused of acting as a conduit between the Macarthur players and a Colombian criminal known as “J Col,” has not yet entered pleas to nine charges against him. He is due to face court on these charges on Thursday.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15128303/Disgraced-Aussie-soccer-stars-Kearyn-Baccus-Clayton-Lewis-learn-fate-court-role-yellow-card-betting-scandal-2023.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
