Scott Brannon sentenced to probation, forfeits $25 million in U.S. gambling case

U.S. businessman Michael Lawrence Brannon, known in Costa Rica as Scott Brannon and formerly a board member and shareholder of Club Sport Herediano, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Texas to operating an illegal gambling business. Under the plea agreement he was sentenced to one year of probation, with the first six months served under home confinement, and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and a $100 court assessment. The court also required forfeiture of $25 million in proceeds, to be paid in installments beginning with $7 million within seven days of sentencing.

Brannon arrived in Costa Rica in 2004, lived there for several years, and was naturalized in 2010. He was linked to the club through Fuerza Herediana S.A.D., which managed Herediano from 2013 onward. The criminal case does not accuse the club or its current officials of involvement. The sentencing marks the conclusion of a federal investigation that began in 2013 and spanned until 2021.