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Lawyer Says Accused Robber Has Addiction
Story posted on
2005-12-14 18:47:00
A lawyer for a Lehigh University student charged with robbing a bank in Allentown says his client is battling a gambling addiction. He says the 19-year-old held up the Wachovia Bank to pay off thousands of dollars he lost playing on-line poker. WFMZ's Carl Madonna has more on what can happen when internet betting gets out of control.
19 year old Lehigh University student Greg Hogan has quite a resume. Class president, son of a baptist minister and now bank robber.
Hogan, who's free on bail in Bucks County says the reason he held up the Wachovia Bank in Allentown is because of thousands he owes to on-line gambling sites.
John Waldron:
4:17 "...he was hooked and despite he was president of his class and dual major, worked for the chaplain's office, he did have this addiction." -- "...it was over a year, year and a half he was into it for five thousand dollars."
MADONNA:
With poker's popularity exploding on tv and on line...more and more people, even young children are getting hooked.
George, a former compulsive gambler and organizer of Allentown's gamblers anonymous program says more than 3/4 of the people he sees have or thought about robbing to pay off a gambling debt.
George:
25:34 "...when I was gambling I though about robbing a bank, I thought about robbing a store, it's that bad that you'll do anything for money, steal, rob sell it doesn't matter." -- "...I thought about committing suicide, the last day I bet I was sitting on 378 thinking about committing suicide."
MADONNA:
While Hogan awaits his preliminary hearing in late January his lawyers are having him evaluated hoping that Hogan's mistake, will be a lesson learned for others.
Waldron:
3:48 "...maybe with what's happened to my client maybe that can help other college students from becoming addicted and maybe they can seek help earlier on then going to the extreme that my client did."
MADONNA:
In Allentown, Carl Madonna, 69 News.
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