Former PokerStars Owner Released on Bail
The unprecedented situation with restrictions imposed by authorities in different countries, which are related to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, has not affected the US legal system in any way. The story, which began about nine years ago, seems to be moving towards its final result. We are talking about the famous poker room PokerStars, or rather, about its former owner I. Scheinberg.
The above-mentioned businessman decided to surrender to the US authorities. The other day, after arriving in New York, he surrendered to representatives of the Department of Justice. However, after short formalities, Scheinberg was released on bail of one million dollars. The owner of one of the most famous poker rooms is accused of organizing illegal operations, fraud and money laundering.
Let us recall that the first charges against Scheinberg were brought back in April 2011. The businessman spent some time in Switzerland and only a couple of days ago seventy-three year old entrepreneur decided to return to the United States and surrender to the authorities. Incidentally, a few days earlier it was reported that the New Jersey State Attorney's Office had opened a case in which it was ordered that Scheinberg be extradited from Switzerland.
The defendant's lawyers did not waste time. This is confirmed by the quick processing of documents, allowing the former owner of PokerStars to be released on bail, which by US standards cannot be called huge. Assistant Prosecutor O. Zverovich also confirmed that the agreements between Scheinberg and the federal prosecutor's office were reached thanks to the efforts of both sides.
By the way, after the charges brought several years ago, Mr. Scheinberg and his son sold their business to the Canadian company Amaya Gaming in 2014. The deal amounted to about five million dollars. This allowed the famous poker room to return to the US gambling market in 2016. However, it is still unknown how the high-profile case will end. Perhaps the lawyers will be able to prove their client’s innocence in the fraudulent schemes. However, it is absolutely certain that this story will not end quickly. This is confirmed by the fact that it has been going on for almost 10 years.
