Justin Smith and Edwin Ting to Plead Guilty in Illegal NYC Gambling Case
Last week, William Barbalat and Kirill Rapoport entered guilty pleas for aiding in unlawful activity and conducting an illegal gambling business, including high-stakes poker games in New York City. According to The New York Daily News, two more men – Justin “Boosted J” Smith and Edwin Ting – are expected to enter guilty pleas on Sept. 4. Smith will reportedly plead guilty to taking payment for Internet gambling, while Ting will cop to operating an illegal gambling business. If convicted, they could serve up to five years each in prison.
Smith, 25, and Ting, 41, were among the 34 men indicted on illegal gambling charges in April, when the FBI’s Eurasian Organized Crime Squad executed federal search warrants in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami and Philadelphia in connection with an illegal gambling ring tied to Russian organized crime.
Others charged included Abe Mosseri, Bill Edler, Vadim Trincher, Peter Feldman, and John Hanson.
Ting is best known as a regular in high-stakes cash games, including in Ivey’s Room at the Aria in Las Vegas. He also finished in 99th place in the 2008 World Poker Tour $25,000 Championship for $39,570. Meanwhile, Smith has more than $2.1 million in career tournament earnings, including a runner-up result in the 2010 WPT $10,000 Bellagio Cup for $594,755; third in the 2009 WPT $15,000 Bellagio Cup for $464,870; and fourth in the 2011 Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic $100,000 High Roller for $289,440.
*Click here to view the indictment.
According to The New York Daily News, the lawyers of both Smith and Ting declined comment Thursday.
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