LOS ANGELES — A tentative trial date has been set for Sept. 23 for former NBA star Gilbert Arenas and five others, including a suspected high-level member of an Israeli organized crime group, in connection with an alleged illegal gambling business involving high-stakes poker games in Encino.
Arenas, 43, of Woodland Hills, is free on bond following his arrest July 30. He is charged with one count each of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to federal investigators, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
At his July 30 arraignment in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, Arenas, who played high school basketball in Los Angeles, pleaded not guilty and was released on a $50,000 bond.
Also charged with conspiracy and operating an illegal gambling business are: Yevgeni Gershman, 49, of Woodland Hills, a suspected organized crime figure from Israel; Evgenni Tourevski, 48, of Tarzana; Allan Austria, 52, of West Hills; Yarin Cohen, 27,of Tarzana; and Ievgen Krachun, 43, of Tarzana.
According to the indictment, Arenas rented out an Encino mansion he owned for the purpose of throwing high-stakes illegal poker games. At Arenas’ direction, Arthur Kats, 51, of West Hollywood, staged the house, found people to operate the games, and collected rent from co-conspirators on Arenas’ behalf from September 2021 to July 2022, federal prosecutors allege.
Gershman, Tourevski, Austria and Cohen managed illegal “Pot Limit Omaha” poker games, among other illegal games, at the home, collected a fee the house charged from each pot either as a percentage or a fixed amount per hand and invited players to compete, the indictment continued.
Young women allegedly collected tips to serve drinks, provide massages, and offer “companionship” to the poker players, prosecutors allege, and were charged a percentage of their earnings from working the games. Chefs, valets and armed security guards also were hired to staff the games, according to the indictment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also contends that Krachun worked as a “chip runner,” in which he tracked players’ wins and losses, distributed poker chips and paid employees.
Gershman, an Israeli citizen, is charged along with Valentina Cojocari, 35, of Woodland Hills, with three additional counts — conspiracy to commit marriage fraud, marriage fraud, and making a false statement on an immigration document, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors allege that in early 2022, Gershman conspired with Cojocari to enter into a sham marriage for the purposes of obtaining permanent legal status in the United States and lied to immigration authorities to procure legal status for Gershman, who provided financial support to Cojocari in exchange for her participation in the sham marriage.
Both Gershman and Cojocari submitted false information on their U.S. immigration forms, including Gershman’s answers of “no” as to whether he had ever been detained by any law enforcement official and whether he intended to engage in illegal gambling or any other form of commercialized vice, federal prosecutors said.
If convicted, all defendants could face up to five years in federal prison for each count, prosecutors said
Arenas is best known for his time as a guard on the Washington Wizards. He last played professionally in China in 2013. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license after an armed confrontation in the Wizards locker room in 2009 with teammate Javaris Crittenton.
He played high school basketball at Grant High School in Valley Glen.
His son, Alijah Arenas, starred on Chatsworth High’s basketball team last season and is a top recruit at USC. The younger Arenas has been struck by misfortune in recent months. In April, he was seriously injured in a car crash and was placed in an induced coma for awhile. After recovering from his crash injuries, Alijah Arenas suffered a torn meniscus in a knee and may have to sit out his freshman season at USC.
