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Agent: Vanek was not ‘involved’ in money laundering

Thomas Vanek, Jan Hejda

Thomas Vanek, Jan Hejda

AP

From the Star Tribune, in the wake of the report that linked Wild forward Thomas Vanek to a money-laundering scheme:

While the National Hockey League said Friday it will continue to keep an eye on a federal illegal gambling and money laundering case in Rochester, N.Y., that Thomas Vanek has testified in as the government’s prime witness, the Wild forward likely won’t face league discipline unless he faces criminal charges or bet on hockey.

Vanek’s agent, Steve Bartlett, told the Star Tribune Friday that “Thomas is not in any way, shape or form involved in any illegal activities or in trouble here.”

Vanek bet on football and was paying off a gambling debt, according to Bartlett.

Bartlett added that any insinuation that Vanek was “involved in money laundering” is “totally false.”

“He is not the subject of any investigation or criminal charges or anything whatsoever,” said Barlett. “He was a witness against this guy who was the bookmaker. He was the guy that wanted money and Thomas paid it to him. Thomas wasn’t involved in any bookmaking activities.

“Now people are like, ‘Oh, Thomas was a money launderer. That’s totally false. He was the bettor. He bet on football games. Obviously that’s what he was testifying to. It doesn’t take Einstein to figure that out.”