Gal Yifrach, 3 Others Face Money Laundering, Illegal Gambling Allegations

Winning a WSOP Bracelet immediately promotes you to stardom in poker circles. It, unfortunately, means that you cannot enjoy the relative obscurity of the average player when you get tangled in what could be a breaking of the law. One such person, poker pro Gal Yifrach, is being investigated by US federal authorities for running an illegal gambling business.

Gal Yifrach and Co-Conspirators Face DoJ Allegations

He is named with Shalom Ifrah and Nick Shkolnik, and one other, in a new US Department of Justice indictment that alleges that the quarter had run an illegal slot parlor in California, where they were based at the time of the offense. A fourth co-defendant was named who was involved in the alleged laundering of the ill-gotten proceeds.

Yifrach is not just a WSOP Bracelet winner. The player has been pretty much a known face in the industry with his work for brands such as Hustler Casino Live and the Live Stream Poker Show now casting a shadow on the efforts by the two content creation productions.

Yifrach’s alleged offenses do not stop there, however. Apart from running the illegal gambling operation, the culprits used various methods to launder the money and cover up their deeds the Department of Justice said in the accusations.

Investigators claim to have been able to intercept Yifrach’s communications and messages to fellow conspirators who laid bare their plans. Yifrach allegedly exchanged $200,000 worth of chips for checks in a location referred to in the communication with his conspirators as “Casino 1.”

This casino is based in the Bell Gardens in California, according to investigators, which narrows down the choice of potential properties, and potentially points to The Bicycle Casino. If this is indeed the property – prosecutors do not name it – then it’s worth recalling that last November authorities found the casino in breach of AML measures, issuing a $500,000 penalty in the matter.

Serious Potential Penalties Against All People Involved

Yifrach had other conspirators as well. An Individual 6 for example would issue corporate checks after receiving a designated amount in cash. The corporate checks were in the name of two anonymous firms that were not mentioned. These offenses were all documented in the allegations made against the poker pro and his fellow conspirators.

The charges against Yifrach and Shkolnik are serious enough to land them in prison for five years and incur a $250,000 fine, which will be on top of the other penalties face. The five-year sentence applies to the illegal gambling business they helped set up.

However, Yifrach, Ifrah, and Schneur Zalman Getzel Rosenfeld, or Individual 6, may face up to 20 years in prison for money laundering. There is also a $500,000 fine for this penalty alone. The defendants are also at risk of losing three real estate properties in Los Angeles along with $500,000 in savings as the Department of Justice is looking to seize the assets.