Current:Home > MarketsGambler blames Phil Mickelson for insider trading conviction: 'He basically had me fooled'-InfoLens
Gambler blames Phil Mickelson for insider trading conviction: 'He basically had me fooled'
View Date:2024-12-23 20:15:11
Gambler Billy Walters describes his falling out with golfer Phil Mickelson in a new interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Walters says he is still upset about being convicted of insider trading, conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud in 2017, and believes if Mickelson testified, he would not have gone to prison.
“When it was time to do the right thing and step up and do nothing but tell the truth in regards to me, he didn’t do that,” Walters told the Wall Street Journal. “He let me go to prison for something that he knew I didn’t do.”
"They said I gave my celebrity friends inside information, referring to Phil Mickelson,” Walters added. “Well, if the jury had heard Phil Mickelson refute that, I’m confident I wouldn’t have gone to prison.”
Walters received a five-year prison sentence and was fined $10 million. The sentence was commuted by former President Donald Trump on his last day in office in 2021.
Walters said in his book Gambler: Secrets From a Life at Risk that Mickelson wagered more than $1 billion on sports and also attempted to place bets on the 2012 Ryder Cup, knowing he would compete in the competition.
“I respected Phil. He basically had me fooled,” Walters said. “I thought he was an honorable, stand-up guy. I really did. I would’ve never had the relationship I did with him for as long as I did.”
Walters also said Mickelson knew he was writing his book. Walters said in June 2022 that they ran into each other at a country club, where Mickelson apologized and explained why he didn't testify.
“He’s a great golfer, a great player, maybe one of the greatest that’s ever played,” Walters said. “As far as a man, as far as a human being is concerned, I think he’s extremely materialistic. And I think that probably drives him as much or more than anything in the world.”
veryGood! (97)
Related
- Lane Kiffin puts heat on CFP bracket after Ole Miss pounds Georgia. So, who's left out?
- Fire at a Texas prison forces inmates to evacuate, but no injuries are reported
- Body pulled from ocean by Maine lobsterman confirmed to be Tylar Michaud, 18-year-old missing since last month
- This week on Sunday Morning (August 27)
- Lane Kiffin puts heat on CFP bracket after Ole Miss pounds Georgia. So, who's left out?
- Activists furious Democratic leaders haven’t denounced plan to check every ‘Stop Cop City’ signature
- Smoke from Canadian wildfires sent more asthma sufferers to the emergency room
- How long should you boil potatoes? Here's how to cook those spuds properly.
- Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, gets engaged to girlfriend Amanda Dubin
- Shooting that followed fight on street in Pasadena, California, wounds 5
Ranking
- We Can Tell You How to Get to Sesame Street—and Even More Secrets About the Beloved Show
- Biden and Harris will meet with the King family on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington
- Noah Lyles gets coveted sprint double at worlds; Sha'Carri Richardson wins bronze in 200
- Storms are wreaking havoc on homes. Here's how to make sure your insurance is enough.
- Mississippi woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds
- Harris is welcoming Las Vegas Aces to the White House to celebrate team’s 2022 WNBA championship
- Bare electrical wire and poles in need of replacement on Maui were little match for strong winds
- Man arrested after going door to door looking for Drew Barrymore's home, police say
Recommendation
-
Stressing over Election Day? Try these apps and tools to calm your nerves
-
DoorDash to pay $1.6M to its workers for violating Seattle sick time policy
-
'I don’t like the situation': 49ers GM John Lynch opens up about Nick Bosa's holdout
-
As Companies Eye Massive Lithium Deposits in California’s Salton Sea, Locals Anticipate a Mixed Bag
-
John Robinson, successful football coach at USC and with the LA Rams, has died at 89
-
If you're neurodivergent, here are steps to make your workplace more inclusive
-
In Iowa and elsewhere, bans on LGBTQ+ ‘conversion therapy’ become a conservative target
-
Former E! Correspondent Kristina Guerrero Details Private Battle With Breast Cancer