WASHINGTON, July 1 (RIA Novosti) – A US judge in a gambling and money laundering case allegedly connecting members of the Hollywood and Wall Street elite to the Russian mob has placed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) wiretaps in the case under court seal, Radaronline reported Monday.
A Federal indictment April 16 linked illegal New York City poker games catering “primarily to celebrities, professional poker players and very wealthy individuals working in the financial industry” to a $100 million gambling and money-laundering operation run by a Russian crime syndicate.
Suspects named in the indictment include the Russian-American professional poker player Illya Trincher, and Molly Bloom, described by Radaronline as the “Queen of the Hollywood Poker Scene” who previously ran an illegal gambling circle for celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck.
Also named is Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, an accused mob boss based in Russia who has been charged with “extortion conspiracy” and “money-laundering conspiracy.”
