A West Springfield woman and an Enfield man have pleaded guilty to participating in a telephone betting operation in Agawam.
Deborah Counos, 54, of 1608 Westfield St., West Springfield, pleaded guilty to possession of an apparatus for registering bets and using a telephone for gaming. She received fines totaling $1,250.
Paul Kendall, 53, of 620 Gatewood St. in Enfield, pleaded guilty to the same two counts.
He received a 2½-year sentence to the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow, but the sentence was suspended, and four years' probation ordered. As conditions of that probation, Hampden Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page ordered he go to three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week and one Gamblers Anonymous meeting a week as well as perform community service.
Another man, Steven O'Neill of Agawam, faces the same two charges.
Assistant District Attorney Charles E. Dolan said that March 4, 2004, state police developed information that Counos was using a telephone at 333 Springfield St. in Agawam for gaming activity. Police executed a search warrant of that address May 14 of that year, and found evidence of sports bets being taken.
Dolan said that within several minutes of the troopers' arrival, the telephone rang and one trooper took wagers from 10 customers.
Counos freely discussed with police that she had known Kendall since high school and was taking sports wagering actions on his behalf, Dolan said.