Retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas was among six people arrested Wednesday on suspicion of running illegal poker games in Los Angeles.
According to the US Attorney's Office Central District of California, the 43-year-old former all-star was charged with one count of conspiracy to operated an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business, and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.
Mansion hosts high-stakes poker
Five others were charged in connection with the illegal gambling operation. One of those defendants, Yevgeni Gershman, is a suspected high-level member of an Israeli organized group. Evgenni Tourevski, Allan Astria, Yarin Cohen, and Ievgen Krachun were also listed on the July 15 indictment that was unsealed on Wednesday.
The group is alleged to have run high-stakes poker games from September 2012 to July 2022 in a rented mansion that Arenas owned. Arenas directed Arthur Kats to stage the mansion and collect rent on his behalf from the co-conspirators.
Gershman, Tourevski, Austria, and Cohen managed the illegal raked games, most notably pot-limit Omaha, and provided chefs, valets, and armed security guards. Krachun is alleged to have worked as a chip runner and bookkeeper.
Gershman charged with sham marriage
Gershman is also accused of hiring young women who "served drinks, provided massages, and offered companionship to the poker players" in exchange for tips. A tax was collected on these earnings from those running the game.
Additionally, the Israeli citizen is charged with Valentina Cojocari on three additional counts of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, and making a false statement on an immigration document. According to the indictment, the two allegedly entered into a "sham marriage" to obtain legal status in the United States for Gershman, who "provided financial support to Cojocari in exchange for her participation."
All seven defendants are scheduled to make an appearance in US District Court in Los Angeles for an arraignment on Wednesday afternoon.
Images courtesy of WPT.
