Comment by pero | Hacker News Reader

Comment by pero | Hacker News Reader

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Federal authorities unsealed an indictment Friday against the founders of the three largest internet poker companies operating in the U.S. The indictment charges eleven defendants, including the founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker, with bank fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling offenses, according to Federal authorities in New York. Restraining orders were issued against more than 75 bank accounts used by the poker companies and their payment processors, while five Internet domain names used by the companies to host poker games were seized, federal authorities added in a statement. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/doj-indicts-founders-of-top...

Indictment http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/April11/schein...

This needs to be modded up. The ICE mass domain seizures were more blatant violations of due process.

I would also add, if they are going after these poker sites for money laundering, at this point players probably will be unable to deposit or withdraw any money in to their game accounts.

from the indictment: "The United States also filed a civil money laundering and in rem forfeiture complaint (the "Civil Complaint") against the Poker Companies, their assets, and the assets of several payment processors for the Poker Companies."

That means they are taking everything Any asset that any of these defendants has, that is within US government reach will be seized. The domain names were probably the easiest part.

additionally from the indictment: "Defendants BITAR,SCHEINBERG, BURTNICK, TATE, TOM, BECKLEY, RUBIN and LANG are not presently in the United States and have not yet been arrested. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is working with foreign law enforcement agencies and Interpol to secure the arrest of these defendants and the seizure of criminal proceeds located abroad."

That doesn't sound like a rogue US seizure of some domain names they didn't like (which was the case with the ICE seizures.)

So the government gets to indict you; then sieze your assets; then take you to court (where you cannot afford a lawyer anymore, because they have already seized your assets).

I guess it's nice to be the King.

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