Nationwide — Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday following a federal indictment accusing him of hosting illegal high-stakes poker games at his Encino, California, mansion. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Central California announced that Arenas faces three serious charges: conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to federal investigators.
Arenas, 43, appeared in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles, where he pleaded not guilty and was released on a $50,000 bond. His trial is scheduled to begin on September 23. His attorney, Jerome Friedberg, said he had only briefly spoken with Arenas and declined to comment on the specifics of the case. “At this point in the case, he is presumed innocent, right?” Friedberg said. “He has the same right as any other citizen to that presumption, and that’s how he should be treated.”
According to ESPN, the indictment also named Yevgeni “Giora” Gershman, who prosecutors allege is a senior member of an Israeli organized crime ring, along with four other individuals. Authorities say the illegal gambling operation ran from September 2021 through July 2022, and that Arenas allowed his property to be used for the poker games. Prosecutors allege an associate of Arenas staged the mansion, organized the events, and collected rent from co-conspirators on Arenas’ behalf.
The indictment describes the games—primarily “Pot Limit Omaha”—as profit-generating events that took a percentage from each pot. The group is said to have hired chefs, valets, and armed security to manage the events, as well as young women who served drinks, gave massages, and provided companionship for tips. Prosecutors claim that even the servers’ tips were partially skimmed by the organizers.
So far, federal authorities have not disclosed who the participants in these games were, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office has declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation.
This isn’t Arenas’ first brush with controversy tied to gambling. In 2009, he was involved in a highly publicized locker room incident with then-teammate Javaris Crittenton, which stemmed from a disagreement over a card game during a team flight. The altercation involved firearms and led to suspensions for both players.
Arenas, who last played in the NBA in 2012 with the Memphis Grizzlies, had a notable career that included three All-Star selections and a career average of 20.7 points per game over 11 seasons with the Wizards, Warriors, Magic, and Grizzlies.
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