High stakes poker player Gal Yifrach has been presented with an eye-watering 142,689 pages of evidence in relation to charges of running an illegal gambling operation.
Gal Yifrach was charged with one count of conducting an illegal gambling business and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering after his alleged slot machine operation was uncovered.
Turns out that Gal Yifrach was already convicted in 2014 for “utilization of slot machine or device” — essentially the same charge, at the state level. This was in Merced, CA.
I have a feeling we won’t see him for awhile.https://t.co/Pci5s5r3IX
— Todd Witteles (@ToddWitteles) March 28, 2022
The feds claim that Yifrach, along with his three co-defendants, Shalom Ifrah, Nick Shkolnik, and Yosef Yitzchak Beshari, launched the illegal slots business in March 2018 and ran it through to July 2020.
The proceeds were then claimed to have been laundered through casinos and high-stakes poker games.
Gal Yifrach has appeared on popular poker live streams Hustler Casino Live and Live at the Bike, taking part in some monster pots along the way.
Hard currency was exchanged for chips at a casino in Bell Gardens, California which would be converted into a cheque at the property, later deposited at his bank.
Now, the defendants’ legal teams are clamouring over the new evidence, seeking any possible avenue where their clients are not facing many years behind bars.
A court filing read:
“Counsel for the defendants believes that failure to grant the above-requested continuance would deny them the reasonable time necessary for effective preparation, taking into account the exercise of due diligence; and their respective litigation commitments.”
Unfortunately for the defendants, the FBI was tipped off about the operation long before they got wind that they were in danger of being caught. This allowed law enforcement to monitor a variety of electronic communications.
The evidence contains multiple messages where the laundering of proceeds was discussed, including “consult with someone about cleansing the cash”.
If convicted, the defendants are facing up to 20 years in a federal prison. A total of 5 years for the illegal gambling charge and 20 for money laundering.
The case will resume in court on March 4, 2024, for a hearing ahead of the trial.
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