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Gilbert Arenas, who spent more than a decade in the NBA, was taken into custody Wednesday.
The Department of Justice accused the former basketball star of operating an illegal gambling ring from a home he owned in Southern California.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on $50,000 bond.
A federal indictment obtained by Fox News Digital showed Arenas was charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and another count of making false statements to federal investigators.
Arenas, nicknamed “Agent Zero,” is suspected of renting a property in Encino, California, for the purpose of hosting high-stakes poker games, according to the Justice Department.
The federal indictment was filed in Los Angeles. According to the document, Arenas is accused of instructing Arthur Kats to stage illegal games. Kats allegedly handled rental payments for other individuals who were also believed to have had a role in the operation. Officials said they obtained text messages believed to show conversations between Arenas and Kats about details of the games in question.
One of the defendants, Ievgen Krachun, was identified as the person who oversaw the gambling as it was allegedly being committed inside the home, according to the indictment. Another defendant, Yevgeni Gershman, was described by the DOJ as a “suspected organized crime figure from Israel.”
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Court documents did not name an attorney for Arenas or the other defendants in the case as of Wednesday. The co-defendants are accused by DOJ investigators of receiving money from prize pots and recruiting women to “serve drinks, provide massages and offer companionship” to gamblers.
A portion of the women’s earnings were collected by the players after services were allegedly rendered, investigators said.
The home Arenas owned was raided in July 2022. U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigators seized money during the search. Arenas responded by filing a petition with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Arenas last appeared in an NBA game during the 2011-12 season with the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent the majority of his professional basketball career with the Washington Wizards. In recent years, Arenas has become best known for hosting the “Gil’s Arena” podcast.
There were no lawyers listed in the court documents.
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