PokerWorks

One of the 11 people indicted on illegal gambling, fraud, and money laundering charges by the U.S. Department of Justice, Ira Rubin, was arrested on Monday, April 25th, 2011, in Guatemala. Bloomberg.com reports that Rubin is “charged with nine counts, including conspiracy to violate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act; three counts of violation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act in connection with Pokerstars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker; three counts of operation of an illegal gambling business in connection with Pokerstars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker; conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering conspiracy.”

Rubin made his initial court appearance on Wednesday, April 26th, in Miami.  The question of his legal defense was raised.  Rubin told U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea M. Simonton in Miami, “I signed an agreement with a lawyer in New York Friday. I have no idea whether he’s been paid as of yet. I haven’t been able to make a phone call since Monday.”

Stuart Meissner, the attorney in question, told the judge - via a telephone call - that he not been paid.  The result was that Judge Simonton set a hearing for April 29th to decide whether Rubin can find new representation. An additional hearing for Rubin is also set for May 2nd.

Rubin appeared before Judge Simonton in a tan prison jumpsuit with his hands shackled and was returned to the Miami Federal Detention Center after the hearing, wearing the same wrist jewelry.

This is apparently not Ira Rubin's first brush with a warrant for his arrest according to a report by the Federal Trade Commission dated February 15th, 2008m where the court found him in contempt and issued a warrant for his arrest for assisting Cross-Border telemarketing scams.