WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The one-time owner of the Renegades, a West Palm Beach nightclub, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal prison in connection to an illegal sports gambling operation and prostitution case.
In June, Dion De Cesare, 54, of West Palm Beach, pleaded guilty to operating an illegal sports gambling business, conspiring to commit money laundering, using a facility of interstate commerce to carry on prostitution activities and tax evasion.
As part of her sentence Wednesday in West Palm Beach, U.S. District Court Judge Robin L. Rosenberg ordered De Cesare to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,046,224.19. The government is seeking approximately $10 million in the forfeiture of numerous items and money, including two residential properties, two commercial properties, a storage facility, five condos, six vehicles, a Rolex watch and $93,000 in criminal proceeds. The Court will hold a forfeiture hearing at a later date.
De Cesare had faced a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison, 12 years supervised release and a $1 million fine — in addition to restitution.
During the plea hearing, De Cesare admitted that from around April 2008 to November 2022, he owned two social clubs: Whispers All Girls Staff and NXT. During various times, prosecutors said the businesses provided an array of prostitution services regularly to their customers.
According to the Department of Justice, De Cesare collected the proceeds from those businesses and laundered them through third-party bank accounts and the payment of mortgages and expenses owed on several of his properties in West Palm Beach.
Officials said De Cesare also admitted that from about May 20, 2015, to October 2022, he also operated an online sports gambling business through a website whose server was located in Costa Rica.
They said he also laundered the gambling proceeds by having the gamblers send their debt payments to third-party individuals and entities for De Cesare's benefit.
From 2011 to 2017, De Cesare owned Renegades, a restaurant and nightclub in West Palm Beach.
From various times between 2011 and 2013, and from 2015 to 2016, the DOJ said he failed to pay personal and payroll taxes.
Investigating agencies were Homeland Security Investigations, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and IRS.
