Federal agents in Los Angeles on Wednesday arrested former NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas on charges related to operating an illegal gambling business out of his Encino mansion.
Five other defendants were also taken into custody, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, including Yevgeni Gershman, a suspected high-level member of an Israeli organized crime group.
The former point guard has been 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.
According to the indictment, Arenas rented out his Encino mansion for high-stakes poker games from September 2021 to July 2022.
Gershman, along with alleged co-conspirators Evgenni Tourevski, Allan Austria and Yarin Cohen, ran pot-limit Omaha poker games, in addition to other games, and also collected a house fee, or “rake,” from each pot.
Another man, Ievgen Krachun, allegedly worked as the operation’s “chip runner,” ferrying chips to tables, paying employees, and tracking players’ wins and losses.
While playing social poker is legal in California, it becomes illegal gambling when a house collects money or takes a rake.
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In addition to the gambling charges, Gershman is also accused of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Prosecutors say the 49-year-old conspired with 35-year-old Valentina Cojocari to enter into a sham marriage so he could obtain permanent legal status in the U.S.
Cojocari was also arrested Wednesday on charges related to marriage fraud.
