Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday and charged alongside 5 others with conspiracy for allegedly operating unlawful “high-stakes” poker video games in Encino that included hiring girls to offer “companionship” for gamblers, court docket information present.
Arenas, 43, rented out an Encino mansion that he owned between September 2021 and July 2022 “for the needs of internet hosting high-stakes unlawful poker video games,” in keeping with a information launch issued by the U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Los Angeles. Gamers had been charged a “rake,” or tax, to play, along with no matter they guess into numerous pots, prosecutors alleged in court docket information.
Finest identified for his time as a guard on the Washington Wizards, Arenas is recognized in court docket information by his nickname “Agent Zero.” He final performed professionally in China in 2013.
Arenas has been charged with conspiracy to function an unlawful playing enterprise, working an unlawful playing enterprise and making false statements to federal investigators. Arenas wore crimson basketball shorts and a shirt with the phrases “simply grind” as he pleaded not responsible throughout a short court docket look in downtown L.A. on Wednesday afternoon.
A private spokesperson for Arenas didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Indicted alongside Arenas had been: Yevgeni Gershman, 49, of Woodland Hills; Evgenni Tourevski, 48, of Tarzana; Allan Austria, 52, of West Hills; Yarin Cohen, 27, of Tarzana and Ievgen Krachun, 43, of Tarzana. Prosecutors described Gershman as a “suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group.”
Cohen and Krachun additionally pleaded not responsible Wednesday. Gershman’s listening to was continued.
Gershman, Tourevski, Austria and Cohen managed the poker video games, prosecutors mentioned. Gershman additionally allegedly employed younger girls to serve drinks, present massages and provide “companionship” to gamers, in keeping with the indictment.
The video games started to return collectively in September 2021, in keeping with the indictment. That 12 months, Arthur Kats, 51, texted Arenas asking whether or not he deliberate on doing his personal sport, information present. Arenas allegedly responded that he “would possibly throw plo video games at my home,” referring to unlawful “Pot Restrict Omaha” poker video games on the “Gable Home.”
Authorities mentioned Kats was not arrested alongside the opposite defendants Wednesday and regulation enforcement is actively trying to find him.
The next month, Arenas allegedly texted Kats the date that the home can be accessible to host, the quantity of lease he wished to cost and the variety of video games he deliberate on internet hosting there per week. In November 2021, authorities mentioned, Arenas texted Kats an image of a gold-trimmed poker desk with “ARENAS POKER CLUB” printed on it and a picture of a basketball participant with a jersey with the identify “Arenas” and the quantity zero under it.
That 12 months, in December, Kats allegedly texted Arenas saying that he owed him $14,000 for tables and chairs as a startup expense for internet hosting the video games. That very same month, Arenas allegedly advised Kats he wished the rake from an unlawful poker sport on the home to go to the mom of a deceased former lover.
The next 12 months, authorities allege that Kats let Arenas know Tourevski and his companions had been able to host unlawful poker video games on the home on Wednesdays. In February 2022, Gershman allegedly texted contacts a couple of new place for “Pot Restrict Omaha.”
Gershman allegedly despatched coded textual content messages to girls inviting them to work the unlawful poker video games and in a single case asking if a girl was open to partaking in prostitution on the home. In response to the indictment, Gershman defined to 1 girl that he charged girls 25% to 35% of their earnings from working the video games.
A sport on the home in July 2022 allegedly drew 26 gamers and greater than a dozen employees, in keeping with the indictment. Cooks, valets and armed safety guards had been allegedly employed to employees the unlawful poker video games.
In response to the indictment, Arenas sought to get again funds that had been seized from his main bedroom by Homeland Safety Investigations on July 20, 2022. Authorities allege that Arenas falsely acknowledged that he wasn’t concerned in something occurring on the get together.
Authorities mentioned Arenas “had knowingly offered playing tools on the Gable Home for use to host an unlawful poker sport on July 19, 2022, had knowingly rented out the Gable Home for use to host the unlawful poker sport on July 19, 2022, and was amassing lease from the hosts for working an unlawful poker sport on the Gable Home on July 19, 2022.”
L.A. federal prosecutors wrote that when Arenas’ home was raided, “unlawful playing actions had been in full swing,” with individuals detained or questioned.
Arenas and the opposite males had been slated to make their preliminary look in downtown L.A. on Wednesday afternoon. Arenas’ legal professional didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Gershman was individually accused of conspiring with 35-year-old Valentina Cojocari to enter right into a “sham marriage” so he may receive authorized everlasting resident standing within the U.S., prosecutors mentioned.
In response to court docket filings by L.A. federal prosecutors, Gershman has prison convictions in Israel, together with conspiracy to commit homicide and narcotics trafficking.
This isn’t the primary time Arenas has run afoul of authorities due to playing. In 2009, Arenas and then-Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton allegedly pulled weapons on one another throughout a locker room argument over a card sport. Police launched an investigation and Arenas later admitted to having three weapons in his locker. No prices had been filed however he was suspended for a lot of the 2009-10 NBA season.
Arenas’ 18-year-old son, Alijah, was briefly positioned in a coma after a critical automobile accident in Reseda earlier this 12 months. The Chatsworth basketball standout and top-tier USC recruit has since recovered. Neither medication nor alcohol had been concerned within the crash.
