The Federal Bureau of Investigation has filed a lawsuit against 34 people, charging them with organising illegal sports betting and poker activity. A total of 27 charges have been raised and it is claimed that the syndicate earned tens of millions of dollars on the illegal games and had close ties to the Russian organised crime.
Among the 34 people charged, several renowned poker professionals can be found, including WPT champion Vadim Trincher, WSOP champion Abe Mosseri, Justin ‘BoostedJ’ Smith and several others.
Vadim Trincher, at the time of his WPT victory
Several federal agencies took part in the investigation that revealed connections among the syndicate, Russian oligarchs, the art life of New York City, banks of Cyprus and even Hollywood celebrities. It is concluded that the syndicate operated under the patronage of Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, one of the major figures of the Russian underworld. Tokhtakhounov’s main profile is illegal sports betting and he is currently under charges of bribing several judges at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He is assumed by many to be the head of the Russian mafia, the Vor, and acting some kind of an Eastern European Godfather.
Investigation also highlighted two separate sports betting operations of the syndicate. One of them was concluded in the United States, available on illegal online sites and the other, allegedly headed by Vadim Trincher, was operating internationally and offering exclusive betting options to Ukrainian and Russian millionaires. Their revenues were then laundered clean in Cyprus and the United States.
Vadim Trincher’s son Illya, a high stakes cash game player himself, was operating the sports betting activities in the USA, accepting bets from New York and Los Angeles millionaires, above all. Illya Trincher sponsored PokerStars pro Eugene Katchalov at the beginning of his career, whose father, Alexander, is also among the 34 defendants.
Abe Mosseri, Justin Smith, Peter ‘Nordberg’ Feldman, Joe Mancuso, Bill Edler and John Hanson, all poker pros, are charged with assisting Illya Trincher in his US-based operations. This branch of the whole undertaking was probably financed by Hillel Nahmad, son of one of the richest art dealers of the world. His family owns the Helly Nahmad Gallery of the Carlyle Hotel in NYC, a location also raided recently.
Moreover, the syndicate is likely to have operated a number of illegal high stakes poker clubs, concentrating in New York. These games were organised by another member of the Trincher family, most likely Eugene, with the help of several high stakes pros, like Eddie Ting and Molly Bloom.
Molly Bllom has previously made it to the covers by organising illegal poker games for Hollywood celebrities in 2011 in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Las Vegas. Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are only some of the A-list names of the participants of the high stakes games.
Of the 34 defendants, 29 were arrested earlier this week. They face charges of blackmailing, money laundering and violating the Travel Act, the Wire Act, the UIGEA and the IGBA. Of the known poker players, only Bill Edler remains at large.
Among the 34 people charged, several renowned poker professionals can be found, including WPT champion Vadim Trincher, WSOP champion Abe Mosseri, Justin ‘BoostedJ’ Smith and several others.
Vadim Trincher, at the time of his WPT victory
Several federal agencies took part in the investigation that revealed connections among the syndicate, Russian oligarchs, the art life of New York City, banks of Cyprus and even Hollywood celebrities. It is concluded that the syndicate operated under the patronage of Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, one of the major figures of the Russian underworld. Tokhtakhounov’s main profile is illegal sports betting and he is currently under charges of bribing several judges at the 2002 Winter Olympics. He is assumed by many to be the head of the Russian mafia, the Vor, and acting some kind of an Eastern European Godfather.
Investigation also highlighted two separate sports betting operations of the syndicate. One of them was concluded in the United States, available on illegal online sites and the other, allegedly headed by Vadim Trincher, was operating internationally and offering exclusive betting options to Ukrainian and Russian millionaires. Their revenues were then laundered clean in Cyprus and the United States.
Vadim Trincher’s son Illya, a high stakes cash game player himself, was operating the sports betting activities in the USA, accepting bets from New York and Los Angeles millionaires, above all. Illya Trincher sponsored PokerStars pro Eugene Katchalov at the beginning of his career, whose father, Alexander, is also among the 34 defendants.
Abe Mosseri, Justin Smith, Peter ‘Nordberg’ Feldman, Joe Mancuso, Bill Edler and John Hanson, all poker pros, are charged with assisting Illya Trincher in his US-based operations. This branch of the whole undertaking was probably financed by Hillel Nahmad, son of one of the richest art dealers of the world. His family owns the Helly Nahmad Gallery of the Carlyle Hotel in NYC, a location also raided recently.
Moreover, the syndicate is likely to have operated a number of illegal high stakes poker clubs, concentrating in New York. These games were organised by another member of the Trincher family, most likely Eugene, with the help of several high stakes pros, like Eddie Ting and Molly Bloom.
Molly Bllom has previously made it to the covers by organising illegal poker games for Hollywood celebrities in 2011 in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Las Vegas. Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon are only some of the A-list names of the participants of the high stakes games.
Of the 34 defendants, 29 were arrested earlier this week. They face charges of blackmailing, money laundering and violating the Travel Act, the Wire Act, the UIGEA and the IGBA. Of the known poker players, only Bill Edler remains at large.
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