Breaking news: Ray Bitar surrenders to US authorities
Full Tilt chief executive returns to New York to be arrested by the FBI.
Full Tilt Poker co-founder and former CEO Raymond Bitar has handed himself in to the US authorities in New York, eGaming Review has learned.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York confirmed to eGR that Bitar had returned to the US from Ireland, giving himself up to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The TwoPlusTwo poker forum was the first to break the news, with a post purporting to be an internal email sent to Full Tilt staff based in Ireland by Bitar in which he explains that he was to “return to the US to deal with civil and criminal case that are pending against me in New York.” He also all but confirms the stricken brand’s impending acquisition by former rivals PokerStars although Stars have yet to make a statement.
“We have all worked hard over the last 15 months to preserve Full Tilt’s assets and potential in order to provide for the repayment of all players, and that continues to be our top priority. It is as important as ever that we all do everything possible to make that happen and, hopefully our deal with PokerStars will very soon make our goal a reality. My return to the US is part of this process,” the email read.
Bitar’s statement goes on to thank his employees for their “hard work, patience and understanding during [a] difficult time,” before revealing that all July salaries are reportedly guaranteed by PokerStars. He also says that their “employment contracts will be assumed by the buyer of the company’s assets.”
The fact that he concludes by saying that he expects to “continue to be available by email and phone starting late Monday, New York time,” suggests that he is to be released on bail before the end of the day.
The news comes just days after the United States government requested an adjournment in ongoing proceedings related to the ongoing civil and criminal cases “In order to facilitate, and hopefully, to successfully conclude, certain ongoing settlement communications.”
Bitar was indicted on April last year on five counts including money laundering, violation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), and the operation of an illegal gambling business. He was one of 11 people to be indicted with only one of his fellow indictees, former banker John Campos, having been sentenced to date.
eGR understands that PokerStars’ talks with US authorities include a discussion of a the operator potentially taking over Full Tilt Poker as part of a settlement deal.