Crime

Thousands Arrested on Charges of Gambling, Porn

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has detained over 30,000 people during a two-month clamp down on pornography and gambling, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.

In the latest arrests, police in the southern province of Guangdong arrested 3,014 and put more than 8,000 in criminal detention as of Dec. 15, Xinhua reported the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department as saying.

Submitted by Reuters on, Dec/24/2014

San Antonio Man Embezzled Nearly $2 Mil on Escorts, Gambling

SAN ANTONIO — (Associated Press) - A man has admitted in federal court in San Antonio to spending most of the $1.7 million he embezzled from his employer on escorts and gambling.

The San Antonio Express-News (http://bit.ly/1wMy7f1 ) reports Bexar Waste employee Michael Dennehy pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single count of bank fraud, admitting he forged numerous company checks over six years. Sentencing is set for March 9. He faces up to 30 years in prison.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/21/2014

Ex Saints Safety Darren Sharper Refused Bail: Co-Defendant a ‘One-Man RICO Case’

One-time New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper was denied bail Friday after being indicted in rape-related drug charges.

During three hours of testimony before a federal magistrate judge, two FBI agents testified that the man accused of supplying Sharper with his “rape potion”, Brandon Licciardi ,was a runner for a St. Bernard Parish bookie and drug trafficker for clubs on Bourbon Street.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Dec/19/2014

Poker Playboy Dan Bilzerian Could Face Up to Six Years in Prison

The so-called “King of Instagram” and poker Playboy Dan Bilzerian is facing up to six years behind bars if charges against him hold up. 

Submitted by Ace King on, Dec/19/2014

Judge to Rule on FBI Ruse Involving Poker Pro Paul Phua and Son

(Associated Press) - It's now up to a federal judge to decide whether the FBI improperly entered suites at a Las Vegas Strip casino in an illegal gambling investigation involving a Malaysian businessman (Paul Phua) and his son.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Leen said Thursday she'll make a ruling soon.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/18/2014

Japan Stick With Javier Aguirre for Asian Cup Despite Match Fixing Claims

(AFP) - Japan will stick with coach Javier Aguirre for next month's Asian Cup, despite the former Mexico coach being involved in a match-fixing scandal which has rocked world football.

Aguirre is due to appear in a Valencia court in February following a probe into match-fixing allegations dating back to 2011 when he was manager of Spanish side Real Zaragoza.

Submitted by Guest on, Dec/18/2014

Manchester United Footballer Ander Herrera Denies Match Fixing Claims

Manchester United footballer Ander Herrera issued a statement this week denying any involvement in a match fixing scandal that has so far netted some 41 individuals.

Herrera denied the allegations via his Facebook page:

Submitted by Alistair Prescott on, Dec/17/2014

7 More Arrested in ‘Mob-Tied’ Gambling Crackdown With Al Sharpton Connections

Seven more individuals were arrested Wednesday on gambling charges stemming from a series of raids in Rockland County, New York last Tuesday that already netted 14 others.  The men were charged with promoting gambling, possession of gambling records, money laundering and other offenses

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Dec/17/2014

Computer Tech in Paul Phua Gambling Ruse Case Didn’t Know Lapel Camera Used

A computer technician took to the stand Wednesday to testify regarding an FBI ruse to gain access into gambling high roller suites of poker player Paul Phua and his son Darren at Caesars Palace.

The technical consultant Michael Wood told a judge he did not know a Nevada Gaming Control Board agent used a lapel camera to record them delivering a laptop to a suite the government later raided.

FBI agent Minh Pham already acknowledged in court that Internet service to the suites had intentionally been disabled.

Defense attorneys maintain the ruse was unconstitutional.

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Dec/17/2014

Nevada Casino Regulator to Testify in Paul Phua FBI Ruse Case

A Nevada casino regulator was scheduled to testify Wednesday regarding a ruse employed by the FBI to gain access into gambling high roller suites at Caesars Palace.

State Gaming Control Board Agent Ricardo Lopez is expected to take the stand Wednesday.

Poker pro and high roller Paul Phua and his son Darren Phua are accused of running an elaborate World Cup betting ring from the suites in question.  Agents dressed up as cable repairmen to gain access after deliberately cutting off Internet access.

Submitted by Ace King on, Dec/17/2014

Đại gia VN bị sát hại Peter Tân Hoàng bị cáo buộc rửa 1 tỉ dollar

Theo các nhà chức trách Úc, đại gia Peter Tan Hoang đã bị cáo buộc tội cờ bạc với tiền rửa khoảng 1 tỉ dollar. Tuy nhiên, Hoàng sẽ không phải ra tòa vì anh ta đã bị sát hại vào tháng 9 vừa qua.

Người tị nạn VN 36 tuổi được biết đến là một con bạc lớn. Anh ta có tiếng là một “cá voi” và là một tay tiêu xài lớn ở các sòng bài ở Úc.

Submitted by Minh Nguyen on, Dec/16/2014

Denial of Service Attacks Strike Equity Poker Network, Other Sites Affected

Following this past weekend’s Denial of Service attacks on Americas Cardroom resulting in the cancellation of the massive Winning Millions tournament, another North American online poker network has confirmed they too have been subjected to the attacks.

Submitted by Alejandro Botticelli on, Dec/16/2014

Murdered Vietnamese High Roller Peter Tan Hoang Accused of Laundering $1 Billion

High roller Peter Tan Hoang stands accused of gambling some $1 billion in laundered money according to Australian authorities.  Hoang will not stand trial, however, as he was murdered in Sydney this past September.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Dec/15/2014

FBI Agents Grilled in Paul Phua Sports Gambling Case Monday

(Associated Press) - An FBI agent is facing tough questions about whether investigators intentionally deceived a federal magistrate to obtain a search warrant and arrest a Malaysian businessman, his son and six others last summer in Las Vegas.

FBI Special Agent Minh Pham on Monday has repeatedly had to acknowledge inaccuracies in documents filed to gain the arrest last July of Wei Seng "Paul" Phua and Darren Wai Kit Phua.

Prosecutors say they headed an international Internet sports gambling operation.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/15/2014

PokerStars Parent Company Amaya Under Investigation

It has been revealed that the Quebec securities regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) is investigating trading activity in Amaya, the new parent company of PokerStars.  The matter also involves two other companies: Canaccord Genuity and Manulife Financial.

Submitted by Ace King on, Dec/15/2014

Evidence Arguments Set in FBI-Caesars Search Case Tied to Poker Pro Paul Phua

LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — Lawyers for Malaysian man and his son are due to ask a federal judge in Las Vegas to throw out evidence in an international Internet gambling case because FBI agents posed as repair technicians to get into their clients' suites at Caesars Palace.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/15/2014

Woman Allegedly Kicked in the Face by Dan Bilzerian Suing for Millions

A woman kicked in the face and left lying bloodied in a Miami Beach night club claims her assaulter was none other than poker player and Instagram kingpin Dan Bilzerian.

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Dec/14/2014

‘Sports Betting Consultant to the Stars’ Adam Meyer Indicted: ‘Threatened Clients’

The so-called “Sports Betting Consultant to the Stars’ Adam Meyer, a Fort Lauderdale resident, has been indicted after allegedly scamming a Wisconsin man out of $25 million over a four year period.  Meyer was arrested earlier in the week and appeared shackled before a federal magistrate Friday morning.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Dec/13/2014

Mistrial Declared in Connecticut Tiffany Stevens Murder-for-Hire Trial

HARTFORD — (Associated Press) - A judge has declared a mistrial because of a deadlocked jury in the case of a Connecticut woman accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her ex-husband during a bitter child custody case.

Hartford Superior Court Judge Edward J. Mullarkey declared the mistrial Friday in the case of former Bloomfield resident Tiffany Stevens, who remains free on $1 million bail. The case is expected to be retried before another jury.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/12/2014

Judge Orders Deadlocked Jury to Come Up With Verdict in Murder-for-Hire Trial

HARTFORD, Connecticut — (Associiated Press) - A Connecticut judge has told a deadlocked jury to try again to reach a verdict in the trial of a woman accused of attempting to hire a hit man to kill her ex-husband during a bitter child custody court case.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/12/2014

Day 3 of Deliberations in Murder-for-Hire Case Linked to Gambling, Sex, Drugs

Friday marked Day 3 of deliberations in the case of a Connecticut mother charged with attempting to arrange the murder-for-hire of her husband. 

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Dec/12/2014

Poker Playboy Dan Bilzerian Arrested at LAX for Possession of Explosives

The so-called “King of Instagram” has been arrested at the Los Angeles International Airport for reportedly carrying explosives.  The arrest occurred 10 pm PST Tuesday night or 1 am EST while transferring through Customs enroute from the Bahamas.

BetOnline

From ABC 7 in LA:

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Dec/10/2014

Disconnects at Online Poker Rooms During Tournaments May Be DDoS Attacks

The dreaded DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service attacks may be back and affecting a number of online poker tournaments across many network sites.

Carbon Poker’s recent spate of server disruptions and disconnection issues have sparked fears of a DDOS attacker deliberately disrupting games in order to steal pots, writes Philip Conneller of CardChat.com.

Submitted by Nagesh Rath on, Dec/10/2014

3 Enter Pleas in $13 Mil Online Gambling Ring Tied to Poker Pro Paul Phua

(Associated Press) - A woman and two men from China pleaded guilty in federal court in Las Vegas to minor roles in what prosecutors say amounted to a $13 million illegal Internet gambling operation that was broken up by an FBI raid at high-roller suites at Caesars Palace. 

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/10/2014

Jury to Begin Deliberating Fate of Tiffany Stevens in Murder-for-Hire Case

A jury will begin deliberating the fate of a Connecticut woman accused of trying to arrange the murder of her husband.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Dec/09/2014

Silkroad Founder Accused in Six Murder-for-Hire Plots: PokerStars to Offer Bitcoin?

With online gambling sites only now beginning to jump on the Bitcoin bandwagon (quite possibly PokerStars among them), some of the earlier Bitcoin startups are currently facing scrutiny, the most notorious of them all being drug bazaar Silkroad.

And now the founder of that underground company, Ross Ulbricht, is alleged to have set up at least six murder-for-hire plots.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Dec/09/2014

Feds Dispute Claims That Hockey Star Thomas Vanek Lost $10 Million Betting

Lawyers for a Rochester, New York man accused of running an illegal sports betting ring have stated that National Hockey League player Thomas Vanek owed the defendant nearly $10 million in gambling debts.

"It was monopoly money," Matthew Parrinello, who represents bookmaker Joseph Ruff, said Tuesday. "Was he ever going to pay? No. Did they expect him to pay (the entirety he owed)? No."

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Dec/09/2014

Murder-for-Hire Trial Features Sex, Drugs, Gambling, Trannies and $50 Million Child

A Hartford murder-for-hire trial is now drawing interest from around the globe with Gambling911.com beginning to cover the story last week.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Dec/08/2014

Art Dealer With Russian Mob Connections Helly Nahmad Out of Prison

Just five months into a thirteen month sentence, high end art dealer Helly Nahmad has been released from prison.

The New York Observer reports that Nahmad has been transferred from a New York State prison to a halfway house in the Bronx.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Dec/08/2014

Houston Area Raid Nets Nearly 100 Slot Machines

RICHMOND, Texas (Associated Press) - A Houston-area raid has led to the seizure of nearly 100 illegal slot machines and one arrest.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office says the case involves illegal gambling at a game room near Richmond.

The sheriff's office on Monday said 49-year-old Rene Valdez of Rosenberg has been charged with gambling promotion. Valdez was freed on $750 bond following Saturday night's raid.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Dec/08/2014

Breaking News