Over the past few weeks, more detailed information has surfaced involving a recent high-profile gambling bust in New York City. Celebrities and poker players have been brought into the mix as having taken part in high stakes poker games, with the main focus on the sting being the Russian mob’s illegal money laundering activities.
In surprising news that revealed through the DOJ’s indictment, one of the main people behind the gambling ring, Illya Trincher, also had a strong working relationship with Marc Lasry. Lasry’s name has been in the headlines due to his association with President Barack Obama, and more so because he was appointed by Obama to be the US Ambassador to France.
Lasry runs Avenue Capital; an investment firm located in Manhattan and was in the running for the ambassador position. According to the New York Post, Lasry withdrew from earning the position after his association with Illya Trincher was revealed.
Trincher was one of the more than three dozen people who were arrested for being involved in the illegal gambling operations. Trincher is believed to be the person behind the operations of the ring. Trincher supposedly worked alongside Hillel Nahmad, the owner of the Helly Nahmad Gallery, which was a location during the raid.
According to a source of the post, Lasry told Obama he turned down the position after government officials began investigating if Lasry was involved in criminal activity. Sources say that the FBI was able to connect Lasry with high stakes poker games. The report quotes the source as stating: “Marc Lasry is a big-time gambler, in golf and poker. He’s a ‘master of the universe’ type. It’s not that he committed a crime, but it opens a can of worms.”
Lasry supported Obama during his 2012 presidential campaign and was a popular fundraiser for the president’s campaign. The report printed a quote by Lasry from a letter that was sent to investors about the US ambassador withdrawal and it stated: “I am very grateful to have been considered. I would like to put the speculation to rest and let you know that I will be remaining at Avenue.”
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