Ex-NBA Star Gilbert Arenas Charged With Running Illegal Poker Games

Ex-NBA Star Gilbert Arenas Charged With Running Illegal Poker Games

Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested on Wednesday together with five other individuals, including a suspected member of an Israeli organized crime group, on allegations of hosting illegal high-stakes poker games at a Los Angeles mansion owned by Arenas, as stated by federal prosecutors.

All six defendants face charges of one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and one count of operating an illegal gambling business, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They are set to be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon.

Messages seeking comment were sent to an attorney and a PR firm that represented Arenas, but online court records do not indicate who his attorney is at this time.

Arenas, now 43 years old, is also facing charges for making false statements to federal investigators. He is referred to in the indictment as “Agent Zero,” which is a nickname he earned during his playing days with the Washington Wizards.

The other five defendants reside in Los Angeles and are aged between 27 to 52 years old. Among them is a 49-year-old man, described by prosecutors as “a suspected organized crime figure from Israel.”

His attorney, Jerome Friedberg, stated outside the courthouse that he hadn’t had much opportunity to talk to his client and could not comment on the case. eya laure chery tiggo “At this point in the case, he is presumed innocent, right?” said Friedberg. volleyball philippines sea games “He has the same right as any other citizen to that presumption, and that’s how he should be treated.”

The indictment reveals that from September 2021 to July 2022, the defendants set up the home in the Encino neighborhood to host “Pot Limit Omaha” poker games and engage in other illegal gambling activities. According to court documents, poker players were required to pay a “rake,” which is a fee charged as a percentage or fixed amount from each hand played.

One of the defendants hired young women who, in exchange for tips, served drinks, provided massages, and “offered companionship” to the poker players, as noted by the prosecutors jollibee menu 2023. “The women were charged a ‘tax’ – a percentage of their earnings from working the games. Chefs, valets, and armed security guards were also employed to staff these illicit poker games,” the statement added pvl invitational conference 2022.

The Israeli suspect is facing additional charges, including marriage fraud and lying on immigration documents. He is alleged to have conspired with a 35-year-old Los Angeles woman to enter into a sham marriage to obtain permanent legal status in the U.S.

If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count, according to prosecutors. Arenas had an impressive career, averaging 20.7 points over 11 years with four teams, with his most notable time spent with the Washington Wizards from 2004 to 2011.

Arenas, known for his charismatic and unpredictable nature, was a three-time All-Star and a prolific scorer. He became a key player for several Wizards teams that experienced moderate success in the mid-to-late 2000s. However, his career in Washington ended controversially when both he and teammate Javaris Crittenton were suspended for the rest of the NBA season in January 2010 following a locker-room incident where both players brandished firearms at each other.

He briefly returned to play for Washington the following season before being traded to Orlando, later moving to Memphis in 2011, where he played 17 games off the bench before leaving to play in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2012-13. He has not returned to the NBA since then.

Arenas’ son, Alijah Arenas, was a rising basketball star in Los Angeles high schools and is currently a highly regarded freshman player at the University of Southern California. is quiz money legit However, his college career is paused due to knee surgery and rehabilitation, which is expected to take several months, as reported by the university last week.

What are your thoughts on the implications of this scandal for Arenas’ legacy?