Overview

• On July 30, Arenas and five co-defendants pleaded not guilty and were released on $50,000 bonds ahead of further proceedings
• The unsealed indictment alleges the group ran a high-stakes poker operation from September 2021 to July 2022 at Arenas’s Encino mansion, complete with hired chefs, valets, armed security and a house rake
• Yevgeni “Giora” Gershman, identified as a suspected Israeli organized crime figure, is accused of employing women for drinks, massages and companionship services that were taxed as part of the scheme
• Gershman and co-defendant Valentina Cojocari face additional marriage fraud charges for a sham union intended to secure U.S. residency
• Prosecutors from the DOJ Transnational Organized Crime Section, supported by Homeland Security Investigations, LAPD Major Crimes and IRS Criminal Investigation, have set a status hearing for September 15 and trial for September 23