Crime
Professional Poker Player Who Killed Parents Profiled in Dateline NBC
As first broke by Gambling911.com, Dateline NBC produced a segment on professional poker player Ernie Scherer III who was sentenced for the double homicide of his parents, Ernest Scherer Jr., 60, and Charlene Abendroth, 57, in their Castlewood Country Club, California home. The showed aired this past Friday.
The couple was found brutally beaten and stabbed to death in their Pleasanton home in March 2008. Scherer III had attempted to make the crime scene appear as if it were a home invasion.
Cereus, Absolute Poker, UB.com Plan to Liquidate Assets to Pay Back Players
Blanca Games, the company that owns the Cereus Poker Network and its brands, Absolute Poker and UB.com, have submitted a plan to the US Justice Department that would result in the repayment of players. Part of that plan would include the liquidation of assets.
Poker Pro Al Krux Arrested for Criminal Drug Possession
68-year-old professional poker player Al Krux was arrested this week and charged with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana outside his Syracuse, New York home. His son Adam was also charged.
Krux’ lifetime earnings playing live poker are just over $1.3 million. He has made the World Series of Poker Main Event final table on three occasions. His biggest earnings came just at the start of the poker boom online when the WSOP prize pool increase resulted in a $600,000 cashout in 6th place.
Oklahoma Online Bookie Gets Four Years Behind Bars
An Oklahoma online bookmaker was sentenced to a four year prison sentence following a plea agreement that would require him to cooperate with prosecutors.
David Roy Tune, 62, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of violating anti-gambling laws and one count of conspiracy. Most of the wagers were placed online with a now defunct Costa Rica sportsbook.
It was revealed that Tune forwarded some of the money collected from losing bettors to a man in a man in Costa Rica beginning in 2008.
Sopranos Actor Arrested as Part of New York Sports Betting Sting
John Marinacci, 56, was one of the individuals caught up in a New York State sports betting sting alleged to have ties with the Gambino crime family. Marinacci appeared in two episodes of the popular HBO series “The Sopranos”. He has also appeared on another HBO series “Boardwalk Empire”.
Marinacci was charged this week with enterprise corruption for taking bets and collecting monies for "the Gambino Bookmaking Enterprise," court papers revealed.
The complaint alleges that the New York sports betting ring utilized an offshore wagering call center.
Bugging Devices and GPS Tracking Used in Illegal Sports Betting Investigation
37 individuals were arrested on Tuesday in New York and charged with running two illegal sports betting and loan-sharking operations. Those arrested include alleged members of the Gambino crime family.
The Class Action Lawsuits Against Full Tilt Poker Keep Coming
Yet another class action lawsuit has been filed against defunct online poker company Full Tilt Poker.
BetOnSports Founder Gary Kaplan Out of Prison
The founder of BetOnSports.com, Gary Kaplan, has completed his prison sentence in connection with running what was considered the biggest North American facing sports betting business of its kind during its heyday. Numerous sources have confirmed to Gambling911.com that Kaplan is out of jail, whereabouts unknown.
BetOnSports and nearly a dozen of its executives were indicted in July of 2006 just prior to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in October of that same year. Charges included racketeering, money laundering and mail fraud.
Feds, Greenville Sheriff Report $2 Million Seized
By SUSANNE M. SCHAFER - Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. --
The Secret Service and the Greenville County Sheriff's Office tracked down and seized more than $2 million from a money laundering scheme tied to online poker operations, officials said Thursday.
U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles said a months-long investigation uncovered two shell companies used to hide illegal gambling proceeds.
The two foreign-based companies sent more than $40 million into the U.S. and the money was tied to payouts to players in South Carolina and other states, Nettles said.
Daniel Tzvetkoff to be Star Witness in Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars Trial
Australian entrepreneur Daniel Tzvetkoff will act as a star witness in the trial of 10 men charged in connection with the operation of three giants in the online poker sector – Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and Absolute Poker.
Poker Players Alliance Meets With DOJ Regarding Full Tilt Poker
The Poker Players Alliance this week revealed the US Justice Department agreed to meet with the grass roots organization late last month.
The PPA said that it had stressed the importance of American’s being able to play online poker and that the game is one of skill and should not be misconstrued as gambling.
Defense Attorneys for Man Named in Full Tilt Poker Case Say Poker is not Gambling
The defense attorneys for a Utah banker and businessman indicted as part of a probe into the online poker firm Full Tilt Poker are trying to convince a federal judge that playing poker on the Web is not a form of gambling.
Lawyers filed their arguments in a Manhattan federal court on Friday and Monday in hopes of having charges against their clients John Campos and Chad Elie dismissed.
Betfair Scandal: Critical Credit Card Hacking Data Withheld From Players
The world’s largest betting exchange, Betfair, has found itself in the middle of a major scandal that resulted in the firm’s Head of Security stepping down.
More than three million customers were affected by a massive credit card hacking scheme. The company made the situation worse by failing to advise customers. The hacking incident in question occurred over 18 months ago.
Some Poker Players Benefit from Full Tilt Poker Ponzi Scheme
A handful of folks claim to have benefited from the Full Tilt Poker ponzi scheme that was revealed by the US Attorney in the Southern District of New York last week. Adam Levy, a 26-year-old from New York is one of them.
He told the Wall Street Journal this weekend that, upon trying to transfer funds to what was once the world’s second largest Internet poker room, he quickly turned $150 into $9000 before the money was even verified in his account. Turns out, that money was never verified in his account.
Feds Move to Seize Assets Belonging to Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson
US Federal authorities have moved to seize assets belonging to Full Tilt Poker pros Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer and Rafe Furst. The three were named as defendants in a civil complaint alleging they were part of an elaborate “ponzi scheme” related to Full Tilt Poker.
The Feds claim that the three men pilfered the company to pay their bloated salaries by removing funds belonging to customers.
US Attorney Southern District of New York Number Two Man Departs
Boyd Johnson, the Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, will join the New York office of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, the law firm announced today.
Johnson has been second in command to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara since August 2009 and has been working for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office since 1999.
Full Tilt Poker was Not a Ponzi Scheme Says Chris Ferguson Attorney
An attorney for Chris Ferguson insisted Wednesday night that Full Tilt Poker was never a ponzi scheme and that his client was doing nothing wrong.
Jeff Ifrah’s Last Stand: “I Plead With All of You To United” Regarding Full Tilt Poker, AGCC
Thread Related to Full Tilt Poker, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson Gets 122K Views in 4 Hours
Read The US Government Amended Complaint re: Full Tilt Poker, Howard Lederer et. al
Case 1:11-cv-02564-LBS Document 50 Filed 09/20/11 Page 1 of 7
Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer Named in Civil Complaint re to Full Tilt Poker
The US Feds announced on Tuesday that Team Full Tilt Poker pros Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer have been named as defendants in a civil suit filed by the US Justice Department.
Cyber Criminals Targeting BitCoin
The web currency Bitcoin has come under increasing attacks from cyber thieves.
Registered Sex Offender Michael Divita Creeps Out Hardended Listeners of Quadjacks
Steve Martin Responds to Michael J. Divita Claims he Did Not Voluntarily Leave Epic Poker Tourney
Michael Divita Denies Child Molestation Accusations: Listeners React
Eastern District of PA US Attorney’s Office Likely to Nail Processor by Year’s End
Merge Poker Skins, Affiliates Severely Impacted by Erroneous Reporting
Facebook Date From Hell Turns Into Ladbrokes Knifepoint Robbery
Latest Online Gambling X Files: TopBet.com Website Looks A Lot Like Defunct BetED.com
