Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas and 5 others have been arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles and accused of illegally internet hosting high-stakes poker video games at his California dwelling, the Division of Justice stated. Arenas was charged with three felony counts and arraigned Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court docket in Los Angeles.
U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Jacqueline Chooljian ordered Arenas launched on a $50,000 bond after he pleaded not responsible.
Arenas’ trial is scheduled for Sept. 23. U.S. District Decide Mark C. Scarsi will preside over the case.
In line with an indictment filed by federal prosecutors, Arenas ran an unlawful playing ring from September 2021 by July 2022. The prosecutors declare that Arenas hosted video games at his Encino, Calif., mansion and picked up lease by an middleman, whereas 4 others, together with Yevgeni Gershman, who the federal government claimed to be a member of an Israeli organized crime group, ran video games of varied poker variants like pot-limit Omaha.
Arenas didn’t instantly reply to a message in search of remark, however posted an Instagram video of himself dancing Wednesday evening and saying, “They’ll’t maintain me.” The caption learn, “Im Again on the Block like its HOT. … ‘simply rented the home’ Wasnt aside of the Festivities #SnitchingGilComingSOON.”
It was not instantly clear who represented Gershman and one other particular person arrested, Arthur Kats.
Arenas labored with Kats to rearrange the video games, prosecutors alleged within the indictment. The 2 started texting each other in October 2021 to debate staging them. Arenas went as far as to make use of a poker desk with “ARENAS POKER CLUB” printed on it, alongside a silhouette of a person carrying a No. 0 jersey with “ARENAS” on the nameplate, prosecutors stated whereas sharing {a photograph} of the desk within the indictment.
Arenas made a poker desk with “ARENAS POKER CLUB” printed on prime of it, alongside a a silhouette of a person carrying a No. 0 jersey with “ARENAS” on the title plate, in accordance with federal prosecutors, and despatched it to the person the feds say he had lease out his dwelling and arrange the occasions.
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Whereas Arenas paid Kats no less than $14,000 for managing the setup for the video games, he additionally texted Kats that he needed to earn a rake, a portion of the cash wagered within the video games, in accordance with textual content messages shared within the indictment. Arenas texted Kats on Dec. 28, 2021, that he needed to make use of the rake from a sport hosted at his dwelling to ship to the mom of an individual described as his “deceased former lover.”
The video games started in February 2022, in accordance with the indictment, and appeared to occur weekly, the indictment stated. In a single April 2022 textual content, Arenas informed Kats, “I’ve an concept that may usher in new gamers for u . . . imma [sic] do a youtube episode of me on the sport however blur out gamers and ladies that don’t need to be scene [sic] for my channel.”
Federal prosecutors additionally stated that Arenas lied to U.S. Customs and Border Safety in September 2022 whereas attempting to get better cash that had been seized by Homeland Safety from his master suite, telling the border safety officers that he was not concerned within the playing ring at his dwelling.
Arenas has been charged with one rely of conspiracy to function an unlawful playing enterprise, one rely of working an unlawful playing enterprise and one rely of creating false statements to federal investigators.
He performed 11 years within the NBA, together with stints with the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards. Arenas made three All-Star groups and completed eighth in MVP voting in 2007. He made greater than $160 million throughout his profession and now hosts a preferred podcast, “Gil’s Enviornment.”
Arenas has had points with the legislation earlier than and pleaded responsible to federal gun possession in Washington, D.C., in 2010 after he introduced 4 weapons to the Wizards locker room of their D.C. area after a disagreement with teammate Javaris Crittenton. Arenas served two days in jail, frolicked in a midway home and was sentenced to 2 years of probation. The NBA additionally suspended him for 50 video games.
Gershman, in accordance with federal prosecutors, additionally employed younger girls to work the video games, serve drinks and massages and return a portion of their earnings to the folks operating the operation, which was between 25 % and 35 %, in accordance with a textual content message within the indictment. Gershman can also be being indicted on three counts primarily based on allegations that he dedicated marriage fraud.
Arenas’ son, Alijah, is a freshman guard for the USC basketball workforce who has additionally made headlines for unrelated causes. He not too long ago suffered a knee harm that may depart him sidelined for no less than 6-8 months. The harm occurred only a few months after the 18-year-old survived a extreme automobile crash wherein bystanders needed to pull him from his burning Tesla Cybertruck.
(Photograph: Scott Taetsch / Getty Photographs)
