- Scheinberg faces up to five years in prison for the single count of operating an illegal gambling business.
- In January, Scheinberg surrendered to federal authorities in New York.
- He initially entered a not guilty plea.
- “The passage of time will not undermine this Office’s commitment to holding accountable individuals who violate US law.”
PokerStars Founder Isai Scheinberg has pleaded guilty to one count of operating an illegal gambling business, the US Department of Justice announced via press release on Wednesday.
In January, Scheinberg surrendered to federal authorities in New York, having evaded US law for almost a decade.
He initially entered a not guilty plea to the charges. He was released on a $1 million bail after surrendering his passports.
“Ten years ago, this Office charged 11 defendants who operated, or provided fraudulent payment processing services to, three of the largest online poker companies then operating in the United States—PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker—with operating illegal gambling businesses and other crimes,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman was quoted as saying.
