Poker scammer and convicted child sex offender Eric Conti has been released from prison, the story somehow escaping the headlines at the time despite some calling for spurned backers to pay him a visit…
Conti went from promising pro to scumbag scammer to jailed paedophile in the space of just a few years, leaving behind a trail of destruction in bad debts and ruined lives.
From Rising Star to Scammer
Back in April 2011, Conti had an impressive resume behind him as he looked to sell a package for that year’s World Series of Poker.
“I have won Sunday majors on both sites in No Limit ( Sunday Warmup, Sunday Brawl win and hu chop), and have won a WCOOP bracelet in Razz, and got 2nd in FTOPS Razz, along with many other wins and final tables,” he wrote on the 2+2 forum.
As ‘OnlyPlayRagz’ on PokerStars and Full Tilt, Conti claimed his live schedule was limited because of having four children, but still managed to sell 80% of his action on $47,000 of WSOP buy-ins.
He apparently played a single event, cashing in 39th spot for $5,740 in the $2,500 buy-in 8-Game.
However, Conti was a no-show at most of the events he’d sold action for, and disappeared from the poker scene, much to the annoyance of his backers who saw not a red cent of return on their investment.
Eric Conti the Convicted Paedophile
Fast-forward three years and Conti resurfaced, this time as an even lower life-form, charged and convicted of two counts of lewd and lascivious battery.
To make matters even worse, the victims were the twin boys he had adopted, who came forward and revealed that Conti had molested them over a period of three years, beginning from when they were 12-years-old.
Newspaper reports from the time stated, “According to the arrest report, Conti would repeatedly touch the boys inappropriately, in front of one another, and make them touch him.”
The case against him was helped when the two young boys worked with police in a “controlled phone call sting”, asking Conti to stop abusing them in order to get an admission and proof of his guilt.
Eric Conti appeared in court wearing an anti-suicide vest and was sentenced to 8 years in 2016 for his sexual assaults, and was due for release from Florida’s Wakulla Correctional Institution this June, 2022.
That was brought forward to April of 2021, and Conti’s release passed by unnoticed until January of this year.
“Fwiw, he’s released and his permanent address is listed here: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/offenderSe…&TypeSearch=AO …if any backers want to go have a talk with him after all these years,” wrote forumite “vizion1” on the 2plus2 forum thread devoted to Conti’s scams and crimes.
The Florida Department of Corrections listing for Conti reveals he is now living in Florida and is still under probation and supervision as an active registered sex offender for the next 21 years.
Terms and conditions apply. New customer offer and 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly! Should you require help regarding your betting pattern, visit www.begambleaware.org
