I did merit this post because I think the idea expressed has some plausibility.
but...
I strongly oppose the the highlighted part. it is cheap to demand jail for folks you don't know personally. the problem is that for someone this may become very personal. I was put in jail on several occasions mainly for political reasons fighting against and also breaking drug laws. jail is a serious matter. it is a very archaic punishment. to be locked into a small cell is a shocking experience.
you cannot go anywhere anymore and this has power to break your back. they wanted to lock me up for 10 years during my latest trial. the law that they used to press the charges in my case was not even anti-drug law but regarded pharmacy. the European High Court had to step in and declare the prosecutor's and court's strategy unconstitutional. the incident was more than a decade ago but the the trial is still not resolved.  for several years this 10 yer sentence was hanging above my life like a Damocles sword. with wife and kids this ain't no fun and gave me serious insights and learning experience regarding jail, police, punishment etc.  my take is that jail should be exclusively for violent crimes. not at all for drug related stuff. and scamming greedy gamblers is not on my list of things that I want the U.S. jail system to the care of. I have no clue if and to what extend Hayes did steal his customers money. if he did, a fair trial would be ok to call out for.  is there evidence that he did?