NorthwestMarch 6, 2014

Tribune staff

ASOTIN - A Clarkston man who ran a Super Bowl gambling board was given a one-year deferred prosecution Wednesday in Asotin County District Court.

Duane E. Benton, 40, was sentenced on a gross misdemeanor charge of possession of gambling records by Judge Ray D. Lutes. He was ordered to pay a $250 administrative fee, and if he doesn't commit any crimes in the next 12 months, the charge will be dismissed.

Benton, a Clearwater Paper employee and coach of the Clarkston High School wrestling team, was represented by Asotin attorney Jane E. Richards. After the sentencing,

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she told the Tribune her client is glad to have this behind him.

Curt Liedkie, Asotin County's chief deputy prosecutor, said after reviewing the report from the Washington State Gambling Commission, the state determined a gross misdemeanor charge rather than a felony was appropriate in this case.

The state investigated the alleged $10,000 Super Bowl board after receiving anonymous tips on a website. The board had 100 squares that cost $100 each, and the limit for such a board in Washington is $1 a square. Agents seized $10,000 in cash from Benton's Clarkston Heights residence on the Friday before the Super Bowl game, and the money won't be returned.

Richards said Benton has no criminal record and did not realize he was participating in an illegal activity. The gambling board was a time-honored tradition at Clearwater Paper, she said, and his co-workers are supportive of him and have offered to help pay his legal fees.

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