Nearly three dozen individuals have been charged with running a gambling ring that catered to celebrities and very wealthy individuals.
The United States Attorney in Manhattan has unsealed an indictment against 34 individuals who are alleged to have participated in two related Russian-American organized crime enterprises engaged in gambling and money laundering. The massive criminal action threatens to expose celebrities engaged in illegal poker games as prosecutors hunt for witnesses and attempt to follow the money trail.
One of the most prominent men charged is Hillel Nahmad, who ran the Helly Nahmad gallery inside the Carlyle Hotel, a 35-story tower built in 1930 whose residents include IAC chairman Barry Diller and Paramount Pictures chairman Brad Grey. The Carlyle also has a four-story hotel that has attracted the likes of George Clooney, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Nahmad is a regular on the party scene and once bragged to a Brazilian newspaper that he introduced model Gisele Bundchen to Leonardo DiCaprio. Today, he's been tagged with financing a massive criminal operation.
The indictment also includes charges against Molly Bloom, a woman who admitted to having played a key role arranging high-stakes poker games in Hollywood that included the likes of DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck and others.
