Full Tilt Poker Owners Charged Again by US DOJ

It looks like the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is filing an amended list of complaints against Full Tilt Poker’s biggest players including CEO Ray Bitar, founder Howard Lederer, Director Christopher Ferguson and part owner Rafe Furst. On top of the previous allegations of violating the IGBA and Wire Act, the DoJ is now alleging that the Travel Act, which forbids the use of “interstate and foreign travel of transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises,” has also been violated.”

The DoJ added 8 new charges to the previous four, bringing the total charges to 12 which include: Illegal Gambling, Travel Act Offenses, Bank and Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, and a range of additional Money Laundering and Conspiracy charges. If the DoJ finds the men guilty, they will each have to find a way to pay the huge penalties. Furst will pay the lowest amount of $11.7 million, Bitar will have to pay $40.8 million, Ferguson will pay $42 million and Lederer will pay the highest at $42.5 million.

For Lederer, the new complaint alleges that over $44 million was deposited into his various bank accounts to pay for the construction of his $3 million home, property taxes, mortgage payments and a list of expensive vehicles including a 1965 Shelby Cobra and a 2008 Maserati Gran Turismo. Additionally, there is documentation showing that Bitar used Full Tilt Poker funds to purchase 2 homes in California. The financial details for Ferguson and Furst have not been made public yet. In total, the DoJ believes that the 23 owners of Full Tilt Poker took close to $444 million of money when it defrauded its customers.