Crime
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From ABC 7 in LA:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
Five Defendants to Plead Guilty in Case Tied to Poker Pro Paul Phua
(Associated Press) - Five defendants are poised to take plea deals in a federal illegal Internet gambling case in Nevada that stemmed from a disputed FBI raid last summer at high-roller suites at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.
Attorney: ‘Extortion’ Check for Illegal Sports Betting Ring was From Thomas Vanek
WHEC in Rochester, New York is reporting that a second guilty plea has been entered into in connection with an illegal multi-million dollar sports betting ring with alleged ties to hockey player Thomas Vanek.
Joe Ruff and his brother are charged with running the business from their Marina Restaurant and Bar in Charlotte, New York.
Tiffany Stevens Murder-For-Hire Trial has Gambling, Sex and Million Dollar Baby
Tiffany Stevens of Bloomfield, Connecticut stands accused of hiring a hitman to kill her husband Eric Stevens. He’s still alive and, at times, it appeared as if the intended victim was the one on trial.
Defense attorney Hubert Santos laid it all out with the questioning.
“Did you communicate to her that her mattress be filled with blood?,” Santos asked.
“In 2009, yes,” Stevens responded.
Bail Dropped for Genovese Crime Family Associate Tied to Sports Betting Ring
A Superior Court judge has lowered bail From $400,000 to $300,000 for a reputed associate of the Genovese crime family accused of running a multi-state multi-million dollar sports betting operation that utilized wire room in Costa Rica.
Poker Pro Paul Phua Denies Organized Crime Ties in World Cup Betting Probe
Attorneys for poker pro Paul Phua (real name Wei Seng Phua ) denied he has any links to a Chinese organized criminal syndicate. Phua, a wealthy Malaysian businessman, and his son Darren Phau were charged this past summer with operating a World Cup betting ring out of a Las Vegas resort. Six others were also charged for their involvement in the alleged scheme.
14 Charged in Multi-State Sports Betting Bust
14 individuals have been charged with running a multi-state sports betting ring. Arrests were made in New York, New Jersey and Florida.
Rockland County, NY District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe also seized $3 million from the business, which is alleged to have taken in millions of dollars per month.
Grandma Gets Spared the Pokey After Gambling Away Stolen $250k
An Auckland, New Zealand grandmother has been sentenced to one year home detention after stealing $200,000 from her employer to help support her gambling addiction.
Philly Mobster Turns Florida Maître d': Serves Up $14 ‘South Philly Beet Down’
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Associated Press) — A woman took Joseph Merlino's hand and towed him across the marble floor to her friends, who fussed over him, cooing.
Thai Prince Wants Wife’s Family Stripped of Royal Name: Tied to Gambling Scheme
Thailand Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn has requested that the Thai government strip his wife’s family of their royal name in the wake of a series of corruption arrests tied to gambling and smuggling rackets.
Princess Srirasmi Akharaphongpreecha is Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn's third wife, and the pair married in 2001. They are expected to divorce.
The princess’s uncle, a senior police general, was arrested over accusations of amassing vast wealth through the smuggling and gambling rings.
Kansas Man Who Robbed Bellagio Found to be Unfit for Trial
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) - A 34-year-old Kansas felon has been declared psychologically unfit for trial in federal court in the July armed robberies of a Las Vegas Strip casino cashier and a bank.
Trial was canceled Friday for Scott Alan Carmitchel on charges of interference with commerce by robbery at the Bellagio and armed robbery of a City National Bank branch.
Six Men Charged With Plotting to Beat Up Man to Collect $40K Gambling Debt
Six men have been charged with plotting to beat up a Chicago area restaurant worker in an effort to collect $40,000 gambling debt.
Prosecutors claim that five of the six individuals have been charged with assault.
They knocked him to the ground and punched and kicked him, prosecutors charged in an indictment returned last week.
Gambling Nuke Commander Denies Bombshell Fake Poker Chip Allegations
A high-ranking admiral who once watched over the U.S. nuclear supply has denied any wrongdoing in a Navy investigation into counterfeit chips.
