Gilbert Arenas arrested on charges of illegal poker games

[1987_Lakers]

No thread so I decided to post it.

Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday in connection with a federal indictment that alleges the former NBA star hosted illegal high-stakes poker games at his mansion in Encino, California, according to a release from the United States Attorney's Office of Central California.

Arenas is officially charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.

He appeared in U.S. District Court on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles and was released on a $50,000 bond after pleading not guilty to the charges. His trial is scheduled for Sep. 23.

His attorney, Jerome Friedberg, said outside the courthouse that he hadn't had much time to speak with his client and couldn't comment on the case.

"At this point in the case, he is presumed innocent, right?" Friedberg said. "He has the same right as any other citizen to that presumption and that's how he should be treated."

Yevgeni "Giora" Gershman, a suspected high-level member of an Israeli organized crime group, and four other associates also were indicted and arrested in connection with the alleged illegal business, which prosecutors say operated from September 2021 to July 2022.

According to the indictment, Arenas rented out his Encino house and one of his associates staged the mansion for the poker games, recruited co-conspirators to host and collected rent from the co-conspirators on Arenas' behalf.

The indictment alleges that Gershman and the other defendants ran illegal "Pot Limit Omaha" poker games, among others, which collected a cut from each pot contested.

Prosecutors say that the group hired chefs, valets and armed security guards to staff the games -- as well as young women who served drinks, provided massages and offered companionship to the poker players in exchange for tips -- and that the co-conspirators took a cut of the servers' tips from the games.

It was unclear as of Wednesday who the players in the games were. The U.S. attorney's office declined further comment.

If convicted, Arenas and the other defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.

This is not the first time Arenas has found himself in trouble relating to card games. In December 2009, Arenas and Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton were involved in an incident where they brought guns into the locker room, which Arenas later said was the result of trash talk from a card game on a team flight.

Arenas, 43, last played in the NBA in 2012 with the Memphis Grizzlies. The three-time All-Star averaged 20.7 points per game over parts of 11 seasons with the Wizards, Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic.

[highwhey]

great job DOJ!



now release the epstein files.

[1987_Lakers]

great job DOJ!



now release the epstein files.

I agree

[3ba11]

waste taxpayer dollar on this and let the real criminals run free... got it

[PistonsFan#21]

At what dollar amount is it considered illegal to bet against your friends on anything? What if they decided to bet on a backyard 3 point contest or dice game instead?

[warriorfan]

great job DOJ!



now release the epstein files.

LePstein

[L.Kizzle]

Was just about to make a topic about Arenas, his basketball career that is.
How he's never mentioned about players who were injured early into their careers.

[FultzNationRISE]

At what dollar amount is it considered illegal to bet against your friends on anything? What if they decided to bet on a backyard 3 point contest or dice game instead?

The legal concept at issue here I believe is that you cannot profit from other peoples winnings in games of chance.

You and your friends can bet each other directly in dice or cards. But someone cannot collect a share of the pot as a third party host or service.

Someone could host a three point contest and collect an organizer's fee. Or a chess tournament, a Madden tournament, anything that is considered primarily skill based and not chance.

You just cant profit from hosting games of chance.

[tontoz]

At what dollar amount is it considered illegal to bet against your friends on anything? What if they decided to bet on a backyard 3 point contest or dice game instead?

The dollar amount is irrelevant. If the house takes a rake it is technically illegal. I used to play in a game like that which would run basically 24/7.

It broke up after getting robbed a couple of times.

[warriorfan]

Was just about to make a topic about Arenas, his basketball career that is.
How he's never mentioned about players who were injured early into their careers.

How I remember it he was good on the Warriors but we lost him in free agency to wizards. Then he went on a heater for a few years but then got injured again. I wanna say he was one of those guys with micro fracture surgery in both knees like amare? I can’t remember exactly but yea he blew out both of his knees and was cooked. He made huge money though. First contract wizards gave him was big but he signed another huge one with them later.

[ralph_i_el]

At what dollar amount is it considered illegal to bet against your friends on anything? What if they decided to bet on a backyard 3 point contest or dice game instead?

The issue is collecting a cut from other people gambling.

It's like the difference between inviting your friends over for dinner, and running a restaurant out of your house.

[ArbitraryWater]

Friedberg Gershman type things

[GOBB]

They probably going to get him on lying to the feds. I think the others will really have to deal with the feds. Unless someone has damaging information to link Gilbert to knowingly being involved in the high stake poker games. Guess we shall see. I wouldn’t rush to judgement there for sure. Underdog wooop wooop place your bets…

Was just about to make a topic about Arenas, his basketball career that is.
How he's never mentioned about players who were injured early into their careers.

What? He’s always mentioned about a career that got derailed to injury. You’re buggin

[L.Kizzle]

They probably going to get him on lying to the feds. I think the others will really have to deal with the feds. Unless someone has damaging information to link Gilbert to knowingly being involved in the high stake poker games. Guess we shall see. I wouldn’t rush to judgement there for sure. Underdog wooop wooop place your bets…




What? He’s always mentioned about a career that got derailed to injury. You’re buggin

Names I usually see:
Penny
Hill
McGrady
Yao
Rose
Brandon Roy

Names I never see:
Arenas
Larry Johnson
Danny Granger
Danny Manning

[GOBB]

Names I usually see:
Penny
Hill
McGrady
Yao
Rose
Brandon Roy

Names I never see:
Arenas
Larry Johnson
Danny Granger
Danny Manning

Arenas is mentioned on podcasts. Maybe prior to that? You’d have an argument. But with the emergence of podcasts players former and current have spoken on how good Gilbert was. And how injuries derailed his career. The other 4 you mentioned? Not so much.