Gilbert Arenas, the former NBA All-Star, was arrested on July 30, 2025, on federal charges alleging he rented out his Encino, California, mansion to host an illegal high-stakes poker operation and then lied about his involvement to federal investigators. The Gilbert Arenas arrest followed a grand jury indictment naming him and seven co-defendants. He pleaded not guilty, was released on a $50,000 bond, and is scheduled to stand trial on May 5, 2026.
What He’s Charged With
The indictment was returned on July 15, 2025, and unsealed on July 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.1U.S. Department of Justice. Former NBA Star, Suspected Israeli Crime Figure Arrested in Federal Indictment Arenas, 43 at the time of his arrest, faces three counts: conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to federal investigators. Each count carries a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison, putting his exposure at up to 15 years if he is convicted on all three.2ESPN. Gilbert Arenas Arrested on Charges of Illegal Poker Games
The false-statements count comes from a petition Arenas filed asking for the return of money federal agents had seized from his home. Prosecutors say he claimed in that filing that he was “not involved in whatever was going on” at the residence on the night of July 19, 2022, when an illegal game allegedly took place. The indictment contends he had in fact knowingly rented the property, supplied gambling equipment including a custom poker table, and collected rent from the operation.3ABC News. NBA’s Gilbert Arenas Arrested in Gambling Ring
What Prosecutors Say Happened at the Mansion
The alleged operation ran from September 2021 through July 2022 at a five-bedroom Mediterranean-style home on Gable Drive in Encino owned by Arenas.4Los Angeles Times. Gilbert Arenas Arrested Over Illegal Poker Operation The games were high-stakes Pot Limit Omaha sessions, and the house took a cut of every pot, known as a rake.1U.S. Department of Justice. Former NBA Star, Suspected Israeli Crime Figure Arrested in Federal Indictment
The setup was not a casual home game. Organizers allegedly hired card dealers, chefs, valets, and armed security guards. They also recruited young women to bring drinks, give massages, and offer companionship to players for tips, then charged those women a portion of their earnings as a “tax.”5Los Angeles Times. Illegal LA Poker Ring Guilty Plea
Arenas’s alleged role centered on the property. Prosecutors say he coordinated with co-defendant Arthur Kats to set rental rates and game schedules, provided gambling equipment, and collected rent through Kats as an intermediary.4Los Angeles Times. Gilbert Arenas Arrested Over Illegal Poker Operation Kats, 51, of West Hollywood, allegedly handled thousands of dollars in rent payments and prepared the house for game nights.6Fortune. Gilbert Arenas Arrested Over Poker Operation The indictment also alleges Arenas directed that rake money from certain games be sent to the mother of a deceased former romantic partner.
Who Else Was Charged
Eight defendants are named in the indictment. The person prosecutors identify as running the games day to day is Yevgeni Gershman, 50, whom the Department of Justice described as a “suspected organized crime figure from Israel.”1U.S. Department of Justice. Former NBA Star, Suspected Israeli Crime Figure Arrested in Federal Indictment Gershman allegedly managed the games, recruited players, hired staff, and ran the tax system imposed on the women working the events. He also faces a separate charge of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud for allegedly entering a sham marriage with co-defendant Valentina Cojocari, 35, to obtain permanent legal status in the United States.7BBC News. Gilbert Arenas Charged Over Illegal Gambling Business
Evgenni Tourevski (48), Allan Austria (52), and Yarin Cohen (27) are each charged with conspiracy and operating an illegal gambling business, accused of helping manage games and recruit players. Ievgen Krachun (43) faces the same gambling counts and allegedly served as a “chip runner,” tracking wins and losses, distributing chips, and paying employees. Arthur Kats is described in the indictment as staging the mansion and collecting rent for Arenas; the DOJ press release did not list him among those arrested alongside the other defendants, and his precise status is unclear from available records.1U.S. Department of Justice. Former NBA Star, Suspected Israeli Crime Figure Arrested in Federal Indictment
In April 2026, Gershman agreed to plead guilty to four federal counts: conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, immigration fraud, money laundering, and being a prohibited person in possession of firearms.5Los Angeles Times. Illegal LA Poker Ring Guilty Plea Under the deal he faces up to 24 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine, with deportation to Israel described as “practically inevitable” and a potential permanent ban on returning to the country. Sentencing is set for July 6, 2026.8KTLA. Israeli Crime Figure Admits Role in Poker Games at Former NBA All-Star’s LA Mansion Available reporting does not indicate whether Gershman has entered a formal cooperation agreement with prosecutors.
Arenas’s Response and the “Snitching” Talk
Arenas did not stay quiet after his arrest. Leaving the courthouse on July 30, he posted a video on X dancing and declaring, “They can’t hold me.” He said the charges had nothing to do with him and that he had merely rented the mansion out.9Yahoo Sports. Gilbert Arenas Says He’s ‘Snitching’
On a livestream, he addressed his co-defendants directly: “Good luck in court. I’m pretty sure I ain’t gonna be there when it’s starting to go, ’cause yeah… I’m snitching.” He later posted a photo of a brown bag labeled “Informant Lunch.”10Awful Announcing. Gilbert Arenas Denies Snitching on Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups
When NBA coach Chauncey Billups and player Terry Rozier were arrested in October 2025 on separate federal gambling-related charges, speculation followed that Arenas had cooperated in those cases. He denied it during a stream on October 24, 2025, saying “This is a whole different level” and “My case is different.” He said he remained willing to cooperate as an informant in his own case but had nothing to do with the Rozier and Billups investigations.10Awful Announcing. Gilbert Arenas Denies Snitching on Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups The FBI confirmed those cases, brought out of the Eastern District of New York and tied to organized crime families, were not connected to the Arenas prosecution.11Los Angeles Times. Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Arrested in Gambling Probe
The 2010 Gun Case
This is not Arenas’s first federal-courthouse trip. In December 2009, during a dispute over a gambling debt with Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton, Arenas brought four firearms into the team’s locker room at Verizon Center and placed them in front of Crittenton’s locker with a note reading “Pick one.” Crittenton reportedly responded by displaying his own weapon.12ESPN. Gilbert Arenas Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge
On January 15, 2010, Arenas pleaded guilty to one felony count of carrying a pistol without a license in D.C. Superior Court.12ESPN. Gilbert Arenas Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge Commissioner David Stern suspended him indefinitely without pay, and the NBA later suspended both players for the rest of the 2009–10 season.13NPR. NBA’s Gilbert Arenas Suspended After Gun Incident At sentencing on March 26, 2010, Superior Court Judge Robert Morin rejected prosecutors’ request for three months in jail and gave Arenas two years of supervised probation, 30 days in a halfway house, 400 hours of community service, and a $5,000 contribution to a fund for victims of violence.14CNN. Gilbert Arenas Sentencing He also spent two days in a Montgomery County jail for medical screening and classification before entering the halfway house.15NBC Washington. Gilbert Arenas Gets a Taste of Prison
What Happens Next
The gambling counts against Arenas are brought under 18 U.S.C. § 1955, the federal statute covering illegal gambling businesses. The law requires an operation that violates state law, involves five or more participants, and either runs continuously for more than 30 days or generates gross revenue exceeding $2,000 in a single day.16Cornell Law Institute. 18 U.S.C. § 1955 – Prohibition of Illegal Gambling Businesses
Arenas appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian on the day of his arrest, pleaded not guilty to all three counts, and was released on a $50,000 bond, with an affidavit of surety filed by Melanie Arenas. As a condition of release, he surrendered his passport to the U.S. Pretrial Services Agency.17CourtListener. United States v. Gershman, 2:25-cr-00595 A trial initially set for September 23, 2025, did not take place.18NBC Los Angeles. NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas Among 8 Indicted in Alleged Underground Gambling Ring The jury trial for Arenas and co-defendants Tourevski, Austria, Cohen, and Cojocari is now scheduled for May 5, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi.5Los Angeles Times. Illegal LA Poker Ring Guilty Plea Arenas remains free on bond and has kept his not-guilty plea.