The games hosted by former NBA player Gilbert Arenas have alleged ties to organized crime
Federal prosecutors are continuing to unravel details of an underground poker ring that operated out of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas’ Encino mansion, with ties stretching from Los Angeles to alleged Israeli organized crime.
Court filings show that Arenas’ longtime business manager, Regina Jones, has been subpoenaed as a witness, creating complications in his release conditions. Arenas, who is free on a $50,000 bond posted by his wife, was originally barred from contacting witnesses, but a judge has since allowed him to maintain contact with Jones due to her deep involvement in his personal and financial affairs.
The case has drawn attention not only for Arenas’ connection but also for the roster of co-defendants swept up in the probe. Among them is Yevgeni Gershman, a 49-year-old whom investigators describe as a high-ranking member of a transnational crime group.
Prosecutors allege Gershman managed the games inside Arenas’ residence and took an illegal rake from each pot. Gershman has been ordered to remain in custody, with prosecutors arguing he poses a threat to witnesses. His attorney disputes that characterization, presenting him as a working father with legal employment and dismissing government claims of international mob ties as unsubstantiated.
Other defendants include a professional poker player, convicted drug trafficker Allan Austria, and two additional individuals connected to the games. Austria, despite his prior record and firearms found during his arrest, was granted release on bail, though prosecutors insist he served as Gershman’s enforcer.
Defense attorneys for several of the accused argue that federal agents are pursuing a “celebrity-driven” case and highlight that the poker games in question ended shortly after the mansion was raided three years ago.
The investigation continues to raise questions about the intersection of high-stakes poker, organized crime, and celebrity circles in Los Angeles, with prosecutors signaling that the case could expand further.
