Casey Urlacher, brother of Brian Urlacher, among 10 charged in illegal gambling business, federal officials say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Casey Urlacher, brother of Chicago Bears Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, is among 10 people charged with conducting an illegal gambling business.

The 40-year-old, who's also the mayor of Mettawa in Lake County, Illinois, is accused of acting as an agent for a multimillion dollar sports gambling outfit, recruiting bettors, facilitating their payments and then taking a cut of the money they lost.

"He wasn't at the top of the pyramid here, but he was very much important, it seems, in the operation of the enterprise, as charged in this indictment," said ABC7 Legal Analyst Gil Soffer.

Urlacher is among 10 defendants charged Thursday with conspiring to illegally conduct a multi-million dollar sports gambling business based in the Chicago suburbs. The nine others accused include a Chicago police officer, Nicholas Stella.

Prosecutors say the alleged ringleader is 54-year-old Vincent DelGiudice of Orland Park, who allegedly went by the nickname "Uncle Mick." They say he used an offshore online gambling platform.

At DelGiudice's home, authorities said they seized a mountain of cash, gold, silver and jewelry.

"There's a lot of money trading hands," Soffer said. "It is, in some ways, an old time gambling operation but using the internet."

Interim Chicago Police Superintendent Charlie Beck issued a statement following the allegations against Stella on Thursday.

"Those who enforce the law should understand more than anyone the importance of following the law," Beck said. "The allegations against suspended police officer Nicholas Stella are very serious and if proven, they undermine everything the men and women in the Chicago Police Department represent."

Police said Stella was relieved of his police powers in May 2019, and is currently on disability.

In addition to being mayor Mettawa, which has a population of about 550 people, Casey Urlacher unsuccessfully ran for state senate a few years ago.

ABC7 reached out to Urlacher for comment and left messages at the Village Hall and his home in Libertyville, and to the Mettawa village attorney, but have not heard back.