The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday arrested former National Basketball Association All-Star Gilbert Arenas and five associates on charges of running an illegal gambling operation out of a mansion he owns in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. An unsealed indictment accuses Arenas of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating such a business, and making false statements to investigators. Prosecutors say the group hosted high-stakes poker games between September 2021 and July 2022. According to the filing, co-defendant Yevgeni Gershman—identified as a suspected member of an Israeli transnational crime syndicate—managed the events, hiring armed security, valets, cooks and young women who served drinks, provided massages and, for tips, offered companionship to players. The games featured formats such as pot-limit Omaha, with organizers collecting commissions from each hand. Arenas and the other defendants were scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles later Wednesday. Each gambling count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, while Gershman faces additional immigration and marriage-fraud charges. A three-time NBA All-Star nicknamed “Agent Zero,” Arenas last played in the league in 2012. His career was previously marred by a 2009 locker-room gun incident that led to a season-ending suspension.