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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTSOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -xUNITED STATES OF AMERICA,Plaintiff,- v. -POKERSTARS; FULL TILT POKER;ABSOLUTE POKER; ULTIMATE BET;OLDFORD GROUP LTD.; RATIONALENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD.;PYR SOFTWARE LTD.; STELEKRAM LTD.; SPHENE INTERNATIONAL LTD.;TILTWARE LLC; KOLYMA CORPORATIONA.V.V.; POCKET KINGS LTD.; POCKETKINGS CONSULTING LTD.; FILCO LTD.;VANTAGE LTD.; RANSTON LTD.; MAILMEDIA LTD.; FULL TILT POKER LTD.;SGS SYSTEMS INC.; TRUST SERVICESLTD; FIDUCIA EXCHANGE LTD.; BLUEWATER SERVICES LTD.; ABSOLUTEENTERTAINMENT, S.A.; and BLANCAGAMES, INC. OF ANTIGUA; RAYMONDBITAR; HOWARD LEDERER; CHRISTOPHERFERGUSON, a/k/a “JESUS;” andRAFAEL FURST.Defendants;ALL RIGHT, TITLE AND INTEREST INTHE ASSETS OF POKERSTARS; FULLTILT POKER; ABSOLUTE POKER;ULTIMATE BET; OLDFORD GROUP LTD.;RATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISESLTD.; PYR SOFTWARE LTD.; STELEKRAMLTD.; SPHENE INTERNATIONAL LTD.;TILTWARE LLC; KOLYMA CORPORATIONA.V.V.; POCKET KINGS LTD.; POCKETKINGS CONSULTING LTD.; FILCO LTD.;VANTAGE LTD.; RANSTON LTD.; MAILMEDIA LTD.; FULL TILT POKER LTD.;SGS SYSTEMS INC.; TRUST SERVICESLTD; FIDUCIA EXCHANGE LTD.; BLUEWATER SERVICES LTD.; ABSOLUTEENTERTAINMENT, S.A.; and BLANCAGAMES, INC. OF ANTIGUA; INCLUDINGBUT NOT LIMITED TO THE PROPERTIESLISTED IN SCHEDULE A, SUCH AS BUT::::::::::::::::::::::::VERIFIED FIRST AMENDEDCOMPLAINT11 Civ. 2564 (LBS)
 
NOT LIMITED TO THE DOMAIN NAMESPOKERSTARS.COM; FULLTILTPOKER.COM;ABSOLUTEPOKER.COM;ULTIMATEBET.COM; and UB.COM;ALL RIGHT, TITLE, AND INTEREST INTHE PROPERTIES LISTED IN SCHEDULEB; and ALL RIGHT, TITLE, ANDINTEREST IN THE PROPERTIES LISTEDIN SCHEDULE CDefendants-in-rem.::::::- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x
I. INTRODUCTION
........................3
II. JURISDICTION AND VENUE
..................11
III. THE PARTIES
.......................12
IV. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
...................17
The Enactment of the UIGEA 
................17
The Scheme to Defraud 
..................18
Fraudulent Credit Card Processing
............18
Fraudulent E-Check Processing
..............21
“Transparent Processing”
.................31
The Poker Company Domain Names
..............36The Pokerstars.com Website.............38The Fulltilt.com Website..............43The Absolutepoker.com Website............51The Ultimatebet.com Website.............55
Prior Seizures of Poker Processing Accounts
.......58
 V. FULL TILT POKER’S AND THE FTP INSIDER DEFENDANTS’THEFT OF PLAYER FUNDS
..................63
Full Tilt Poker’s Assurances To Players About the Securityof Deposits Made to Online Gambling Accounts
....64
Full Tilt Poker’s Insolvency As a Resultof Paying Owners From Player Funds and Its Inability To Collect Deposits from U.S. Players
.71
Continuing Fraud Against Players After April 15, 2011
..75
 VI. PROBABLE CAUSE FOR FORFEITURE
..............76
The Poker Companies
...................77
The Poker Company Domain Names
..............77
The Poker Company Accounts
................77
The Poker Processor Accounts
...............782
 
The FTP Insider Accounts
.................78
 VII. CLAIMS FOR FORFEITURE
..................80
FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF
..................80
SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF
.................81
THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF
..................83
FOURTH CLAIM FOR RELIEF
.................85
 VIII. CIVIL MONEY LAUNDERING PENALTIES
............86Plaintiff United States of America, by its attorney,Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern Districtof New York, for its amended complaint, upon information andbelief, alleges as follows:
I. INTRODUCTION
1.From at least in or about November 2006, andcontinuing through in or about April 2011, the three leadinginternet poker companies doing business in the United States werePokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet(collectively the “Poker Companies”). Because United Statesbanks were largely unwilling to process payments for an illegalactivity such as internet gambling, the three Poker Companiesused fraudulent methods to avoid these restrictions and toreceive billions of dollars from United States residents whogambled through the Poker Companies. 2.The principals of the Poker Companies, includingIsai Scheinberg (“Scheinberg”) and Paul Tate (“Tate”) ofPokerStars, Scott Tom (“Tom”) and Brent Beckley (“Beckley”) ofAbsolute Poker, and Raymond Bitar (“Bitar”) and Nelson Burtnick3

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