Three-time All-NBA player Gilbert Arenas has been arrested, along with five other defendants – “including a suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group” – for allegedly running illegal high-stakes poker games out of a Los Angeles home owned by Arenas.
Arenas is set to be arraigned on Wednesday, 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.
Arenas could serve up to five years in prison for each count for which he is convicted.
From the U.S. Attorney’s Office:
“According to the indictment returned on July 15 and unsealed today, from September 2021 to July 2022, [suspected organized crime figure from Israel Yevgeni] Gershman, Arenas, and the other defendants operated an illegal gambling business. Arenas rented out an Encino mansion he owned for the purpose of hosting high-stakes illegal poker games. At Arenas’ direction, Arthur Kats, 51, of West Hollywood, staged the mansion to host the games, found co-conspirators to host the games, and collected rent from the co-conspirators on Arenas’ behalf.”
The crew allegedly ran illegal “Pot Limit Omaha” poker games, among other illegal games, according to the indictment. Young women were hired and “served drinks, provided massages, and offered companionship to the poker players” in exchange for tips (the women were charged a “tax” on their earnings paid to the organizers. There also were armed security guards, chefs, valets parking cars for the games and more, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The ongoing investigation was a coordinated effort of the Homeland Security Investigations’ Northridge Office, the Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Crimes Division — Transnational Organized Crime Section, and the IRS Criminal Investigation.
Arenas was suspended for much of the 2009-10 NBA season after a confrontation where his former Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton threatened him with a loaded gun in the locker room. As Arenas told it, after an argument with Crittenton over a game of Bourré, Crittenton said he would shoot Arenas, to which Arenas said he called his bluff and would give him the guns. The next day, Arenas said he laid out four guns in front of his locker and told Crittenton to pick one, but instead Crittenton pulled out his own loaded gun. After the incident, Arenas pled guilty to illegal possession of an unlicensed handgun in the District of Columbia.