Free Republic

The $2 million cashier's check was drawn at a St. George bank Nov. 5, 2010. From there, it was sent by FedEx to a Los Angeles attorney who represented Ireland-based Full Tilt Poker. Made out to "Mail Media LTD" — a Full Tilt-owned entity used to launder online-gambling funds — the millions then were deposited at Basler Kantonalbank in Switzerland, where Mail Media had an account. And from there, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings is investigating whether it went into a Marshall Islands account in the name of Searchlight Holding Inc. to benefit, or even bribe, Harry Reid, the once-powerful...

Thousands of campaign donations received by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank from three Full Tilt Poker stars allegedly involved in a Ponzi scheme to defraud online players will be set aside to compensate victims, according to Harry Gural, Frank’s spokesman. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara yesterday alleged that Full Tilt took money from players and paid out more than $440 million to board members and owners, including at least three men, Howard Lederer, Rafael Furst and Craig Ferguson, who have donated to Frank’s election campaign. Frank (D-Newton) has been one of the most vocal congressional supporters of legalizing online gaming and...

Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Rafe Furst, Ray Bitar Allegedly Defrauded Players out of $440 Million. Forbes is reporting that on Tuesday morning the U.S. Justice Department accused Full Tilt Poker’s board members Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, and Rafe Furst of working with CEO Ray Bitar to defraud poker players out of more than $440 million over the past four years. After Tuesday’s amendments to April’s original indictment swept more names from the beleaguered site into the thick of legal trouble, Manhattan’s U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement that “Full Tilt was not a legitimate poker company, but a...