Prosecutors Say Alleged Israeli Mobster in NBA Star's Illegal Poker Games Case is a Threat
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Prosecutors in a high-profile case surrounding illegal poker games allegedly connected to retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas are accusing a co-defendant with alleged Israeli mob ties of being a flight risk and threat to the community.
Arenas and other co-defendants, including Israeli national Yevgeni Gershman, were indicted in July for allegedly operating illegal Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) games out of a mansion in Los Angeles. According to the indictment, Gershman and three others were allegedly responsible for managing the poker games and collecting a rake, which was "a fee the house charged from each pot either as a percentage or a fixed amount per hand."
Now, prosecutors are opposing a Sept. 22 motion by Gershman to be released from custody pending trial, alleging he has a violent criminal history and overseas connections that make him a risk. In their own filing, an attorney for Gershman accused prosecutors of "overstating his purported flight risk" and making "unsubstantiated characterizations of Mr. Gershman as a danger to the community based on uncharged conduct."
In a court hearing on Monday, US District Judge Mark Scarsi sided with prosecutors and denied Gershman's motion for release from custody, according to court documents reviewed by PokerNews.
Threats to Player $1 Million in Debt
In an opposing motion filed on Oct. 4, federal prosecutors alleged that Gershman was "a senior member of the Michael Tansky criminal organization" in Israel and "was Tansky’s right-hand man." They say this information came from Israeli authorities, who also told the Los Angeles Police Department that Gershman "had a lengthy criminal history."
"Defendant has a long and violent criminal history," prosecutors wrote. "In 2015, he was convicted of two violent offenses, including assault and actual bodily harm by two or more individuals and assault causing bodily harm, which resulted in the victim's death. He has additional violent convictions, including 2005 convictions for aggravated assault by two or more individuals and for conspiracy to commit a felony."
Arguing that Gershman poses a danger to the community, prosecutors revealed that a source told LAPD detectives in March 2022 that they had lost over $1 million in poker games run by Gershman and the other co-defendants and "refused" to pay because they believed they "had been cheated."
The source told detectives that Gershman told a friend that if the source didn't pay the gambling debt, their "children would be kidnapped and his/her home would be attacked with a grenade." These accusations were previously reported by The Los Angeles Times following an August court hearing.
Further arguing that Gershman posed a danger, prosecutors submitted a threatening text he allegedly sent in November 2021 to someone who owed him money.
"Listen to me moron if you are not going to answer my calls and won't give back my money I will come to your house stupid bitch," reads an English translation of the Russian text exchange.
Guns In Garages
Additionally, prosecutors said they found several guns in Gershman's garage as they executed a July 30 warrant, including "an unbranded AR-style rifle and AR magazine" and multiple handguns.
"Agents also found a set of poker chips in defendant's garage," prosecutors wrote.
In a Monday filing, Gershman's attorney, David Kenner, rejected the government's characterization of his client, describing him as a family man with strong community ties.
"To be clear, Mr. Gershman has resided lawfully in the United States for four years, maintains strong family and community ties to Los Angeles, and has remained in the country despite awareness of this investigation since 2022."
Since the indictment was unsealed in July, the case has drawn intense focus to the world of high-stakes LA private games, which sometimes end in tragedy. In June 2023, 39-year-old Emil Lahaziel was murdered outside a private poker game in a Hollywood Hills home.
The case has also renewed interest in the 2021 disappearance of Heidi Planck, who was last seen outside a downtown LA high-rise known to host poker games, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Most defendants in the case are out on bail, including Arenas. The former NBA point guard, who pleaded guilty to a 2009 felony gun charge over a card game argument, has denied any involvement in the poker games that allegedly took place at a home he rented out and continues to host his "The Arena" podcast.
*Photos courtesy California Central District Court
