Overview

• Federal prosecutors indicted Arenas on charges of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating the business and making false statements to federal investigators.
• According to the indictment, the operation ran from September 2021 to July 2022 at Arenas’s Encino mansion, where organizers charged a rake on each poker pot.
• Yevgeni Gershman, described as a suspected Israeli organized crime figure, faces additional counts of marriage fraud and making false statements on immigration documents.
• The scheme included a staged casino lounge with chefs, valets and armed security plus taxed-tip arrangements for women hired to serve drinks, provide massages and accompany players.
• All defendants were released on bond and are scheduled for a pretrial status hearing in mid-September before a jury trial set to begin on September 23.