Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, famously known as ‘Agent Zero’ during his playing career with the Washington Wizards, has been arrested and charged in connection with a large-scale illegal gambling operation.
Gilbert Arenas was one of six men arrested following an investigation into high-stakes poker games allegedly held at a mansion he owns in Encino, California.
While not accused of directly managing the enterprise, the indictment alleges that Arenas knowingly provided the property for the illicit activities and subsequently made false statements to federal investigators.
The former basketball player faces three serious counts: one of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one of operating an illegal gambling business, and a third count of making false statements.
Evidence cited in court reports includes incriminating images of a custom poker table at the residence, which was allegedly emblazoned with the words ‘Arenas Poker Club’ and featured the likeness of a basketball player wearing a jersey with his name.
The indictment specifies that the operation centred around games of “Pot Limit Omaha,” from which the organizers allegedly took a “rake.”
This collection of a portion of the pot legally classifies the games as a commercial enterprise, subjecting them to state and federal gambling regulations, which the operation failed to meet.
Among the other five defendants is Yevgeni Gershman, who is accused of helping to manage the games and is already known to law enforcement.
The U.S. District Attorney’s Office has identified Gershman as a suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group, adding a more serious dimension to the case.
The indictment further alleges that Gershman and other co-defendants, Evgenni Tourevski, Allan Austria, and Yarin Cohen, hired young women to serve drinks and provide companionship to players, and then illegally charged a tax on the tips these women received.
The final defendant, Ievgen Krachun, is accused of acting as a ‘chip runner.’ If convicted, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
This case emerges as another gambling-related controversy for the NBA, which is also dealing with an ongoing investigation into player Malik Beasley.
