Poker Scene News and Rumors

Nelson Burtnick pleads guilty to Black Friday charges

Nelson Burtnick, one of the eleven men charged as part of last year’s ‘Black Friday’ indictments, can face up to 15 years in prison. Burtnick used to be responsible for payment processing for PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker between 2006-2011. Last week, he pled guilty to conspiracy and gambling charges. Burtnick admitted to deceiving banks to ensure that money transfers between American players and Full Tilt Poker would go through the banking system. According to Burtnick, the deception was needed because the banks would have refused to make the transactions due to the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act - UIGEA.

"We had to do this type of deception to enable U.S. poker players to load their accounts with funds," said Burtnick. "I know that what I did was wrong." His sentencing will take place on December 19.

Before Burtnick, Ira Rubin, Chad Elie, John Campos, Ryan Lang, Brent Beckley, and Bradley Franzen have pled guilty to several charges. All of them received significant fines but only Campos, Beckley, and Rubin received prison time.



Jonathan Duhamel's ex-girlfriend pleads guilty

The Jonathan Duhamel's case is finally coming to an end. In December 2011 Duhamel had his home robbed by two armed men. Besides beating him, the robbers left the place with approximately $115,000, his WSOP Main Event bracelet and a Rolex. Back then, Duhamel suspected that his former girlfriend, Bianca Rojas-Latraverse, was involved in the assault and immediately told the police. Shortly after that, she was arrested along with both men, Jon Clark-Lemay and Anthony Bourque.

After her attorney worked out a plea deal with the prosecutors, Rojas-Latraverse pled guilty to three charges - conspiracy, theft and kidnapping. Rojas-Latraverse will now be sent back to custody and wait for her sentencing in December. The other people involved, Clark-Lemay and Bourque, are still waiting to appear before a judge.

"She did this (pleaded guilty) for the right reasons... It’s really about clearing her conscience and moving on to other things, putting this behind her as quickly as possible and starting anew," said Rojas-Latraverse's attorney, Sarah Desabrais.

Wow scumbag ex girlfriend, definitely one bizznatch that deserves a good beat down and butt ra@$%@.

wait he got beat up and kidnapped? I thought i read something about his girlfriend stealign some money and bracelet didn't know something that serious happened.

On September 28 2012 10:41 [GiTM]-Ace wrote: wait he got beat up and kidnapped? I thought i read something about his girlfriend stealign some money and bracelet didn't know something that serious happened.

wow, did he ditched her right after winning the 12M or something? whats the deal

They were still dating I think right?

Scumbag girl for sure.

they started dating after he won the 9mills, she went batshit crazy when he dumped her

From what I heard he was cornered in a club washroom and beat for the cash and items on his person, not a home invasion. I could have this confused with someone else though.