Gilbert Arenas Faces Federal Charges for Illegal Poker Games
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas was arrested on Wednesday in connection with a federal indictment. The indictment alleges that Arenas organized illegal, high-stakes poker games at his Encino, California mansion, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of 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. The former player appeared before the United States District Court on Wednesday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles and was released on $50,000 bail after pleading not guilty to the charges. His trial is scheduled for September 23.Yevgeni “Giora” Gershman, a suspected high-ranking member of an Israeli organized crime group, and four other associates were also charged and arrested in connection with the alleged illegal business, which prosecutors say operated from September 2021 to July 2022. According to the accusation, Arenas rented out his Encino home and one of his associates prepared the mansion for poker games, recruited accomplices to host and collected rent from the accomplices on behalf of Arenas. The indictment alleges that Gershman and the other defendants ran illegal “Pot Limit Omaha” poker games, among others, that charged a portion of each pot played. Prosecutors say the group hired chefs, valets, and armed security guards for the games, as well as young women who served drinks, provided massages, and offered companionship to poker players in exchange for tips, and that the accomplices kept a portion of the tips from the game servers. Until Wednesday it was not clear who the players in the games were. The United States Attorney’s office declined to comment further. If convicted, Arenas and the other defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each charge. This is not the first time Arenas has found himself in trouble related to card games. In December 2009, Arenas and his Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton were involved in an incident in which they brought guns into the locker room, which Arenas later said was the result of provocations 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 in parts of 11 seasons with the Wizards, Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, and Orlando Magic.At this point in the case, his innocence is presumed, right? He has the same right as any other citizen to that presumption and that is how he should be treated.
Jerome Friedberg, Arenas’ lawyer
