NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Gilbert Arenas, who spent more than a decade in the NBA, was taken into custody on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Justice accused the former basketball star of driving an illegal game ring from a home he owned in southern California.
He did not plead guilty to the charges and was released on $ 50,000 bond.
A federal indictment obtained by Pakinomist Digital showed that arenas were indicted for a counting of conspiracy to run an illegal gaming business, a counting of the operation of an illegal gaming business and another count of giving false statements to federal investigators.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas participates in a game between Arizona Wildcats and Duke Blue Devils at McKale Center 22 November 2024 in Tucson, Ariz. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Arenas, called “Agent Zero”, is suspected of having rented a property in Encino, California, with the aim of hosting poker games with high efforts, according to the Justice Department.
The federal indictment was filed in Los Angeles. According to the document, Arenas is accused of instructing Arthur Kats of arranging illegal games. KAT’s allegedly handled rental payments for other people who were also believed to have had a role in the operation. Officials said they were given text messages that are believed to show conversations between arenas and cats about details about the games in question.
Washington Wizards’ Gilbert Arenas during a game against Phoenix Suns in Washington, DC (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated Via Getty Images)
One of the defendants, Ievgen Krachun, was identified as the person who monitored the spill when it was allegedly committed at home, according to the indictment. Another defendant, Yevgeni Gershman, was described by DOJ as a “suspected organized crime figure from Israel.”
Ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas shares health update on son after scary crash: ‘He had some angels with him’
The court documents did not name a lawyer for Arenas or the other defendants in the case from Wednesday. The co-defender is accused by DOJ investigators of receiving money from prize pots and recruiting women to “serve drinks, give massage and offer camaraderie” to gamblers.
Part of women’s earnings were collected by the players after services allegedly delivered, investigators said.
Coach Gilbert Arenas of the Enemies is introduced before a game against the triplets under Big3 – Week Four at the American Airlines Center 31 July 2021 in Dallas, Texas. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images to Big3)
The owned home arenas were attacked in July 2022. The US Department of Homeland Security -explorers seized money during the search. Arenas responded by submitting a petition with us customs and border protection.
Arenas appeared last in an NBA game in the 2011-12 season with Memphis Grizzlies. He spent most of his professional basketball career with Washington Wizards. In recent years, Arenas has become best known for hosting the podcast “Gil’s Arena”.
There were no lawyers listed in the court documents.
