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Phua Bail-out by Ivey/Robl Countered by ICE |
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Highcard   Canada. Jul 30 2014 15:22. Posts 5428 | | |
http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las...-bail-bid-fails-free-betting-suspects
| Phil Ivey and another big-name professional poker player posted $2.5 million in cash last week to bail out key defendants charged in an international illegal sports betting operation that FBI agents busted at Caesars Palace.
But the two defendants, wealthy businessman Wei Seng “Paul” Phua and son Darren Phua, both Malaysian citizens, still were behind bars Sunday because federal immigration authorities detained them for possible deportation.
Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the lead investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, took custody of the Phuas after their bail was posted. Both men were listed in ICE custody Sunday at the Henderson Detention Center, records show.
Las Vegas lawyer David Chesnoff, who represents the Phuas with his partner Richard Schonfeld, said the defense team planned to challenge the ICE detention.
“Our clients have complied with every condition set by a federal judge for their release,” Chesnoff said. “We have repeatedly attempted to contact ICE authorities, who have not responded. We are going to take further legal steps.”
Chesnoff said he was “outraged” that the executive branch of government won’t honor a judicial branch order.
Ivey, a 10-time World Series of Poker champion who lives in Las Vegas, put up $1 million — $500,000 toward Paul Phua’s $2 million bail and the entire $500,000 bond for his son, according to court papers filed last week by Chesnoff and Schonfeld.
Andrew Robl, another icon on the professional poker circuit, posted the other $1.5 million of the elder Phua’s bail, the court papers show.
In an earlier sworn affidavit, Robl, who also lives in Las Vegas, said he has been a friend of Paul Phua for four years and planned to cash $1.5 million in poker chips he won at the Aria resort to help cover his bail.
Ivey and Robl aren’t the only poker stalwarts to rally behind the Phuas in the criminal case.
Another big-name poker player, Tom Dwan, was with Paul Phua and his son when FBI agents arrested them earlier this month and signed a sworn affidavit questioning the tactics of the agents.
Dwan also was present in federal court when the Phuas made initial appearances on illegal gambling charges with six other defendants. He had private discussions with defense lawyers throughout the court appearances.
Chesnoff, who also represents Ivey, called him the “top poker player in the world.” Ivey won his 10th World Series of Poker gold bracelet last month at the Rio Convention Center, tying him for second on the all-time winner’s list.
Ivey, who went through a bitter public divorce, is not a stranger to controversy. His latest bout with the courts occurred in April, when the Borgata in Atlantic City filed a federal lawsuit alleging he won $9.6 million in high-stakes baccarat in 2012 through cheating. Ivey strongly denied the claim and sought to dismiss the suit.
Phua, 50, a frequent player at poker tables in Las Vegas and Macau, and the other defendants were taken into custody by FBI agents on the Strip July 13 following a raid days earlier on the multimillion-dollar sports betting operation that took wagers on the World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil. The raid occurred at three exclusive Caesars Palace villas after the Strip resort tipped off authorities to the operation. Caesars Palace was not a target of the investigation.
In a criminal complaint, the FBI alleged that the elder Phua was “known by law enforcement to be a high-ranking member of the 14K Triad,” one of the largest criminal syndicates in the world.
Hong Kong-based 14K Triad specializes in drug trafficking and traditional forms of criminal activity, including illegal gambling, prostitution and loan sharking.
Phua and more than 20 other people were arrested June 18 in Macau for running a large gambling operation that took in hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal bets on the World Cup tournament, the Las Vegas FBI complaint alleged.
After his arrest in Macau, Phua was released on bail and flew to Las Vegas on his private jet, where he and his associates are alleged to have resumed their illegal gambling at Caesars Palace, according to the complaint.
At a July 14 hearing in Las Vegas , Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Frayn said Phua told court officials that he was worth $300 million to $400 million, but he is thought to be worth much more.
He told FBI agents during the Caesars Palace raid that he had wagered hundreds of millions of dollars on sporting events since he arrived in Las Vegas in late June. He also said he bought a widely known sports betting service in Asia for $200 million and paid $48 million for his Gulfstream jet.
Frayn sought to keep both Phuas, who are not U.S. citizens, behind bars, arguing they were threats to flee. Without citing names, Frayn said a number of Paul Phua’s poker associates may have been involved in illegal activity uncovered by the FBI investigation, which is continuing. There has been talk that more arrests are coming.
But Chesnoff and Schonfeld, who denied Phua was tied to organized crime, attacked the government’s case in court and persuaded a federal magistrate to release both defendants from custody with restrictions.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bill Hoffman ordered Paul Phua to put up the $2 million bail along with his jet as collateral. Hoffman also ordered the jet to be used as collateral for the 22-year-old Darren Phua’s 500,000 bail.
Both defendants were ordered to stay on home detention with electronic monitoring in the third-party custody of a Las Vegas physician who befriended the elder Phua while playing poker.
But their release didn’t happen because ICE grabbed the defendants before they could be freed and placed them in its custody. |
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I have learned from poker that being at the table is not a grind, the grind is living and poker is how I pass the time | Last edit: 30/07/2014 15:28 |
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Highcard   Canada. Jul 30 2014 15:26. Posts 5428 | | |
You will have seen Phua on many of the latest cash games and super high roller events, reported to be worth much more than $400 million+ from 14K Triad gang affiliation. |
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I have learned from poker that being at the table is not a grind, the grind is living and poker is how I pass the time | |
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RaiNKhAN   United States. Jul 30 2014 16:14. Posts 4080 | | |
gotta keep the fish happy |
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The biggest Rockets, Sixers, and Grizzlies fan you will ever meet! | |
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TimDawg   United States. Jul 30 2014 16:17. Posts 10197 | | |
| On July 30 2014 15:14 RaiNKhAN wrote:
gotta keep the fish happy |
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online bob is actually a pretty smart person, not at all like the creepy fucker that sits in the sofa telling me he does nasty shit to me when im asleep - pinball | |
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YoMeR   United States. Jul 30 2014 16:37. Posts 12435 | | |
sickest entire highstakes community trying to keep him in action LOL |
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Hoolz_1907   United Kingdom. Jul 30 2014 17:03. Posts 2791 | | |
The real question is did Gruissem call? |
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Look at his hand and equities, what do you expect him to have here, uno cards? - TianYuan | |
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ggplz   Sweden. Jul 30 2014 17:03. Posts 16784 | | |
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if poker is dangerous to them i would rank sports betting as a Kodiak grizzly bear who smells blood after you just threw a javelin into his cub - RaiNKhAN | |
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johnmagi   Norway. Jul 30 2014 18:30. Posts 1424 | | |
| On July 30 2014 16:03 Hoolz_1907 wrote:
The real question is did Gruissem call? |
LOOOL |
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TimDawg   United States. Jul 30 2014 18:55. Posts 10197 | | |
Wonder if Ivey/Dwan/Robl were financially involved in his sports betting operation too
I read that the FBI was still investigating hard and were suppose to release more "big" names to be indicted |
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online bob is actually a pretty smart person, not at all like the creepy fucker that sits in the sofa telling me he does nasty shit to me when im asleep - pinball | Last edit: 30/07/2014 22:09 |
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RaiNKhAN   United States. Jul 30 2014 19:30. Posts 4080 | | |
^ i dont think theyd risk being near him if they had any involvement rite? the keeping the fish in action seems spot on since guys of his magnitude of whalism are rare. i dunno if i would try to bail him out like they are though..it's one thing to keep the fish happy and another to alert him to how bad he is that white people are bailing you out of jail to lose money to them |
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The biggest Rockets, Sixers, and Grizzlies fan you will ever meet! | |
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mnj   United States. Jul 30 2014 19:33. Posts 3848 | | |
sounds like the poker pros are getting some side action hence the united bailout |
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TheHuHu3   United States. Jul 30 2014 22:00. Posts 5544 | | |
Andrew Robl, more like Andrew ROFL. |
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n0rthf4ce   United States. Jul 31 2014 04:12. Posts 8119 | | |
way to show "courteous service" to your high rollers. well done vegas, well done. |
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Baalim   Mexico. Jul 31 2014 05:03. Posts 34246 | | |
| On July 30 2014 18:30 RaiNKhAN wrote:
^ i dont think theyd risk being near him if they had any involvement rite? the keeping the fish in action seems spot on since guys of his magnitude of whalism are rare. i dunno if i would try to bail him out like they are though..it's one thing to keep the fish happy and another to alert him to how bad he is that white people are bailing you out of jail to lose money to them |
Yeah let them rot in jail so he doesnt suspect that he is the mark... -___- |
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Ex-PokerStars Team Pro Online | |
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Highcard   Canada. Jul 31 2014 08:39. Posts 5428 | | |
just imagine how much Robl is making from the super noosebleed games over the last few years. So much hate and he could be swimming in more money than luckbox sam trickett |
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I have learned from poker that being at the table is not a grind, the grind is living and poker is how I pass the time | |
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RaiNKhAN   United States. Jul 31 2014 22:16. Posts 4080 | | |
| On July 31 2014 04:03 Baalim wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 30 2014 18:30 RaiNKhAN wrote:
^ i dont think theyd risk being near him if they had any involvement rite? the keeping the fish in action seems spot on since guys of his magnitude of whalism are rare. i dunno if i would try to bail him out like they are though..it's one thing to keep the fish happy and another to alert him to how bad he is that white people are bailing you out of jail to lose money to them |
Yeah let them rot in jail so he doesnt suspect that he is the mark... -___-
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guy is gonna get bailed out regardless bro. hit the showers hombre |
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The biggest Rockets, Sixers, and Grizzlies fan you will ever meet! | |
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Baalim   Mexico. Aug 01 2014 02:01. Posts 34246 | | |
Obv Phua will greatly appreciate being bailed out along with his son, do you seriously think he will be like mmm.... they are giving me millions cuz they think I suck... fuck them I wont give them action anymore -_- |
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Ex-PokerStars Team Pro Online | |
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RaiNKhAN   United States. Aug 01 2014 02:22. Posts 4080 | | |
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The biggest Rockets, Sixers, and Grizzlies fan you will ever meet! | |
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n0rthf4ce   United States. Aug 01 2014 05:28. Posts 8119 | | |
Please let me clarify. Paul Phua is not the mark nor will he ever be in any live poker game he plays in or runs. He is, undoubtedly, the biggest winner in Macau, and probably one of the top 10 biggest poker winners of all time. Andrew and Phil are posting bail for him out of respect, and also due to the fact that without him, there is no game, and if there is no game they cannot earn. |
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relyt   United States. Aug 01 2014 07:42. Posts 2 | | |
| Phil Ivey and another big-name professional poker player |
Poor Robl puts up $1.5 million and they don't use his name in the first sentence but they use Iveys even though he put up 500k less. |
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