Ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas arrested; high-stakes

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday alongside 5 others on conspiracy costs for allegedly working an unlawful “high-stakes” poker recreation in Encino that included hiring ladies to present “companionship” for gamblers, court data show.

Arenas, 43, rented out an Encino mansion that he owned between September 2021 and July 2022 “for the purposes of hosting high-stakes illegal poker games,” according to a information release issued by the U.S. attorney’s workplace in Los Angeles. Players had been charged a “rake,” or tax, to play, in addition to whatever they wager into numerous pots, prosecutors alleged in court data.

Best recognized for his time as a guard on the Washington Wizards, Arenas is recognized in court data by his nickname “Agent Zero.” He final performed professionally in China in 2013.

Arenas has been charged with conspiracy to operate an unlawful playing business, working an unlawful playing business and making false statements to federal investigators.

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.”

Gershman, Tourevski, Austria and Cohen managed the poker video games, prosecutors mentioned. Gershman also allegedly employed younger ladies to serve drinks, present massages and offer “companionship” to gamers, according to the indictment.

The video games started to come collectively in September 2021, according to the indictment. That yr, Arthur Kats, 51, texted Arenas asking whether or not he deliberate on doing his own recreation, data show. Arenas allegedly responded that he “might throw plo games at my house,” referring to unlawful “Pot Limit Omaha” poker video games at the “Gable House.”

The following month, Arenas allegedly texted Kats the date that the home can be out there to host, the quantity of rent he wished to charge and the quantity of video games he deliberate on internet hosting there per week. In November 2021, authorities mentioned, Arenas texted Kats a image of a gold-trimmed poker desk with “ARENAS POKER CLUB” printed on it and an image of a basketball participant with a jersey with the identify “Arenas” and the quantity zero below it.

That yr, 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 identical month, Arenas allegedly instructed Kats he wished the rake from an unlawful poker recreation at the home to go to the mom of a deceased former lover.

The following yr, authorities allege that Kats let Arenas know Tourevski and his companions had been prepared to host unlawful poker video games at the home on Wednesdays. In February 2022, Gershman allegedly texted contacts about a new place for “Pot Limit Omaha.”

Gershman allegedly despatched coded textual content messages to ladies inviting them to work the unlawful poker video games and in one case asking if a lady was open to partaking in prostitution at the home. According to the indictment, Gershman defined to one lady that he charged ladies 25% to 35% of their earnings from working the video games.

A recreation at the home in July 2022 allegedly drew 26 gamers and more than a dozen workers, according to the indictment. Chefs, valets and armed security guards had been allegedly employed to workers the unlawful poker video games.

According to the indictment, Arenas sought to get back funds that had been seized from his master suite by Homeland Security Investigations on July 20, 2022. Authorities allege that Arenas falsely acknowledged that he wasn’t concerned in something occurring at the get together.

Authorities mentioned Arenas “had knowingly provided gambling equipment at the Gable House to be used to host an illegal poker game on July 19, 2022, had knowingly rented out the Gable House to be used to host the illegal poker game on July 19, 2022, and was collecting rent from the hosts for operating an illegal poker game at the Gable House on July 19, 2022.”

L.A. federal prosecutors wrote that when Arenas’ home was raided, “illegal gambling activities were in full swing,” with people detained or questioned.

Arenas and the opposite males had been slated to make their initial look in downtown L.A. on Wednesday afternoon. Arenas’ attorney didn’t immediately reply to a request for remark.

Gershman was individually accused of conspiring with 35-year-old Valentina Cojocari to enter into a “sham marriage” so he might receive legal everlasting resident standing in the U.S., prosecutors mentioned.

According to court filings by L.A. federal prosecutors, Gershman has prison convictions in Israel, including conspiracy to commit homicide and narcotics trafficking.

This just isn’t the first time Arenas has run afoul of authorities because of playing. In 2009, Arenas and then-Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton allegedly pulled weapons on each different during a locker room argument over a card recreation. Police launched an investigation and Arenas later admitted to having three weapons in his locker. No costs had been filed but he was suspended for most of the 2009-10 NBA season.

Arenas’ 18-year-old son, Alijah, was briefly positioned in a coma after a severe car accident in Reseda earlier this yr. The Chatsworth basketball standout and top-tier USC recruit has since recovered. Neither medicine nor alcohol had been concerned in the crash.