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New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) is under investigation by Major League Baseball for his participation in illegal poker games according to an ESPN.com source. He could face suspension.
Rodriguez was linked to underground poker games in the Los Angeles area that involved a number of big name celebrities including Spiderman star Tobey Maguire.
A lawsuit filed against Maguire and others (A-Rod is not named) alleges that hedge fund manager Brad Ruderman caused some investors to lose their life savings as part of a complex ponzi scheme and at least $300,000 of that money went to Maguire. The Spiderman actor won that amount through his participation in clandestine underground high stakes poker games that were part of the scam. Other celebrities named in connection with the high stake poker games include Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. So far, only Maguire has been served with the lawsuit.
“The investors that I represent lost about $50 million dollars,” Ehrenberg told RadarOnline.com exclusively. “I contacted representatives for Mr. Maguire before I filed the lawsuit against him as a courtesy, because I didn't want to cause him embarrassment. My attempts to collect money from Mr. Maguire were unsuccessful and went unnoticed, and I was forced to file the lawsuit against him.
“I was appointed by the court as a trustee in this case, to get money for investors that lost their money. I'm not trying to garner any publicity for myself, I just want to get money that is owed to the investors in the Ruderman Capital Partners hedge fund."
According to one report, A-Rod was at one game that involved some people openly using cocaine and a fight over one player not wanting to cough up his $500,000 in losses.
ESPN's anonymous source said that Selig is "fed up" with the Yankees slugger. MLB commissioner Bud Selig is expected to interview A-Rod himself, according to one report in SI.com.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
