LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Former National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Gilbert Arenas was arrested along with five others on charges of running illegal “high-stakes” poker games at his mansion in the Los Angeles suburbs, United States prosecutors said.
The 43-year-old Arenas, who starred for the Washington Wizards where he was known as “Agent Zero,” rented out the luxury home that he owned in Encino “for the purposes of hosting high-stakes illegal poker games” between September 2021 and July 2022, according to an indictment unsealed in Los Angeles.
The indictment also alleges the gatherings included young women who received tips to “serve drinks, provide massages, and offer companionship” to players.
Arenas is 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.
At his arraignment in federal court in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon, he pleaded not guilty and was released on $50,000 bond.
US Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian set a trial date of 23 September.
Those arrested Wednesday also included 49-year-old Yevgeni Gershman, described as a suspected organized crime figure from Israel.
According to the indictment, an associate of Arenas, Arthur Kats, staged the house for the poker games at his direction, recruited co-conspirators and collected rent on Arenas’ behalf.
Gershman and the three other defendants allegedly ran the illegal “Pot Limit Omaha” poker games in which players were charged a “rake,” either a cut of each pot or a fee per hand.
The women servers were allegedly required to pay some of their tips to the organizers, who also provided chefs, valets and armed guards.
The indictment includes alleged texts between Arenas and Kats in which the games were set up.