Gilbert Arenas, who played in the NBA as an All-Star, got arrested with five more men after authorities said there was an illegal poker operation in his Encino, California mansion. The US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California shared that Arenas is accused of conspiracy to operate illegal gambling, operating illegal gambling, and lying to federal investigators—one count for each crime.

Also arrested were Yevgeni Gershman, Evgenni Tourevski, Allan Austria, Yarin Cohen, and Ievgen Krachun. According to US prosecutors, Gershman is believed to be linked to organised crime in Israel, and he and his partner Valentina Cojocari face three extra charges for a fake marriage used to get Gershman, who is an Israeli citizen, legal status. Each federal gambling charge may result in a 5-year prison sentence.

A Complex Operation

Between September 2021 and July 2022, officials say Arenas and his group ran illegal poker games in the Encino house, letting associates rent the space just for high-money poker. Although Arthur Kats, 51, was not called a collaborator, reports say he took care of the mansion, found people to host the games, and collected rent that went to Arenas.

Gershman, Tourevski, Austria, and Cohen are said to have managed these games, taken a “rake” which is a percentage fee from every poker pot, and searched for new participants. Krachun worked as the operation’s chip handler and bookkeeper, kept records of wins and losses, managed chip flow, and handled payments. Gershman also brought in women to serve drinks, give massages, and be with the players; his partners would take a part of the women’s earnings. Other helpers included chefs, valet drivers, and people hired for armed security. California’s gambling rules say poker is only allowed in licensed card halls or on tribal land casinos.

Unclear if Incident Is Part of Other Scandals

Many athletes have faced sports betting scandals in recent months, and some cases have affected each other. Among those caught up is Jontay Porter, who received a lifetime NBA ban for intentionally losing games to help specific bets win. Investigators also included Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier, linked by ESPN’s recent report which mentions suspicious betting activity; Malik Beasley, who used to play for the Pistons, is part of the probe.

Two pitchers from MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, are being investigated, with Ortiz accused of changing pitches to impact bet results; MLB banned ex-player Tucupita Marcano for betting and removed umpire Pat Hoberg for sharing an account with another person. Nobody knows yet if Arenas’s investigation will connect with these or other large betting cases.

Top Prosecutor’s Term Extended to the Previous Day

Bill Essayli, the interim US Attorney for the Central District of California, had his leadership extended by 210 days by President Trump one day before this news; he originally received a 120-day appointment in April, following Joseph McNally. The Central District office has been leading illegal sports betting probes in Southern California for several years. In Santa Ana next month, Matt Bowyer awaits sentencing for bookmaking, laundering, and tax crimes after taking $325 million in bets from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Poker pro Damien LeForbes and ex-minor-league pitcher Wayne Nix are also pending sentencing in this district, with LeForbes’ dates postponed and Nix’s set back since 2022 when he admitted guilt.

Rocky Road for Agent Zero

Arenas is 43 years old, well-known as “Agent Zero” because of his shirt number, and played from 2001 to 2012, earning three All-Star and three All-NBA team selections with the Washington Wizards. In 2009, a gun incident tied to a card game with teammate Javaris Crittenton stopped Arenas’s basketball run, and this event now appears in the Netflix show “Untold: Shooting Guards.” In recent years, Arenas built a new career path by running his sports talk show “Gil’s Arena,” which Underdog Fantasy sponsors and renewed in January. His son, Alijah Arenas, has signed on to play basketball at USC and survived a major car accident earlier this year that put him in a medically induced coma.