Ira Rubin Charged With Processing Illegal Online Poker Payments
The US Department of Justice recently convicted Ira Rubin on charges of aiding online poker companies to transfer their illegal gambling profits overseas. US District Judge, Lewis Kaplan who presided over the case referred to Rubin as the “unreformed con man and fraudster.” For his crimes, Rubin has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Judge Kaplan sentenced Ira Rubin in a case where more than a dozen people have been charged with defrauding hapless players, and more since the Black Friday event, that resulted in three of the top Internet poker companies closing down. Rubin’s dubious acts include fooling US banks to believe that the money moving through these poker companies were made legally. However, the truth was that the companies showed their profits to come from phony golf stores and other businesses that they portrayed to be transacting with online.
Generally, federal punishments for crimes of this genre resulted in a sentence of between 18 months to two years. However, in Rubin’s case as he was found to have an “extreme inclination” towards committing these crimes again, Judge Kaplan decided that Rubin needed a harsher punishment. Rubin tried to convince the court that he was done with committing crimes after the 15 convictions thrown at him. He told Judge Kaplan, “I know this is my last chance to have a productive life. I’m 54-year-old and I’m tired of running. I just want to go home to my family.”
In reply to Rubin’s statements, Judge Kaplan said that that it was imperative to protect the society from a man like Rubin, who was in his element, “brazen, deliberate and deceptive” and had scant regard for the laws of the country.
Judge Kaplan was extremely candid with Rubin, claiming that without doubt he was sure that when Rubin was set free, he would not hesitate to cook up another scheme that would surely be illegal.
Kaplan also revealed that this was not Rubin’s first sentencing; he last served 15 months in a Guatemalan prison in April 2011, just as he was prepared to travel to Thailand. Authorities in Guatemala confirmed reports that Rubin was residing in Costa Rica since 2008.
In January this year, Rubin admitted to charges of conspiracy related to bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling among others. He also admitted to have with true knowledge of what he was doing, helped deceive authorities on behalf of PokerStars, Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker. He had successfully helped the three erstwhile top poker companies hide their actual intentions with their transactions.
These crimes are not the only ones Ira Rubin has committed over the years. He has according to the United States government, faced criminal charges in the 1970s. Between the years 2003 and 2006, he was involved in a telemarketing scam.
In spite of all his wrongdoings, Rubin cried during this hearing and earned the support from his parents and brother who previously stayed away from him. He begged Judge Kaplan to pardon him, a request that no one paid heed to.
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