The courts have seen a lot of celebrity faces come through over the years for a diverse array of crimes, from driving while intoxicated to misdemeanor theft to much more serious infractions like child molestation, domestic abuse, and even murder. But one bit of criminal activity that has somehow managed to stay out of the legal system until now is gambling, and this case is a doozy. Not only were several A-list actors participating in this illicit ring of card-players, but they may now be on the hook for reparations, fines, and potentially even jail time.
It all started with a man named Bradley Ruderman (currently serving ten years in federal prison for fraud) who managed a Beverly Hills hedge fund. He embezzled upwards of $5 million from his clients, using a portion of it to pay off his losses in a series of high-stakes poker games between 2006 and 2009, in which a number of A-list actors were known to play. Some of the big names cited were Tobey Maguire, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The games were by invitation only, making for an exclusive guest list, and at a buy-in of $100,000, it’s no surprise. But since the games were totally unlicensed and therefor illegal under California state law, the players had no legal right to receive winnings. And now the investors want their money back.
By all rights, the actors (along with other players) should have no onus to return this money. After all, they won’t get back any of the money they lost. Unfortunately, because the gambling ring they participated in was illegal, the investors in Ruderman’s hedge fund have the leverage they need to try to recover at least a portion of their lost investment. The Ruderman Capital Partners, headed by trustee Howard M. Ehrenberg, have now filed sixteen suits in total, with the largest aimed at Spiderman star Tobey Maguire, whom they allege owes a whopping $311,000.
Of course, the onus is on them to provide proof not only that the actors participated in this ring, but also that they won money from Ruderman. However, it seems pretty unlikely that they would file suit without such evidence, so everyone involved in the gambling ring may be on the hook for a pretty steep payout. But it gets worse; they could also face a $1,000 fine and six months in jail for each instance of gambling if a Los Angeles prosecutor decides to go after them in criminal court. Of course, the Hollywood film industry has long been the bread and butter of the city, so going after the actors in this way seems pretty unlikely. After all, they were just having some fun.
But the investors in Ruderman Capital Partners certainly don’t seem to feel that way and they are not content to chalk it up to a bad decision on their part. They will almost certainly move forward with the suit and try to get whatever they can out of the A-list actors and other participants in this gambling ring, meaning that everyone involved could end up paying a lot more than they expected for a few friendly games of Texas Hold ‘Em.
Leah Kurtz writes for Online Casino Sites where you can find the best sports betting websites, online gambling bonus offers, sites with video poker games, and much more.