8 indicted in World Cup betting scheme

Eight defendants arrested in a World Cup betting scheme have been indicted by a Las Vegas federal grand jury.

All of the defendants — including the man suspected of being the leader of the multimillion-dollar scheme, wealthy Malaysian businessman and poker player Wei Seng “Paul” Phua — are charged with one count of transmission of illegal wagering information and one count of operating an illegal gambling business, both felonies.

The indictment, returned Tuesday, alleges the defendants ran the illegal operation, which took bets on the World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil, from June 6 through their July 13 arrests in Las Vegas.

The defendants, seven men and one woman, are to appear for arraignment Aug. 7 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cam Ferenbach.

Phua, 50, a frequent player at poker tables in Las Vegas and Macau, and the other defendants were taken into custody by FBI agents on the Strip after a raid days earlier. The international betting operation is alleged to have began in Macau.

The raid occurred at three Caesars Palace villas after the Strip resort tipped off authorities to the operation. Caesars Palace was not a target of the investigation.

In a criminal complaint in Las Vegas, the FBI alleged Phua was “known by law enforcement to be a high-ranking member of the 14K Triad,” one of the largest criminal syndicates in the world. His defense lawyer, David Chesnoff, has denied the organized crime ties.

Phua and more than 20 other people were arrested June 18 in Macau for running a large gambling operation that took in hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal bets on the World Cup, the Las Vegas FBI complaint alleged.

After his arrest in Macau, Phua was released on bail and flew to Las Vegas on his private jet, where he and his associates resumed their illegal gambling at Caesars Palace, according to the complaint.

Since Phua’s arrest in Las Vegas, top professional poker players have rallied around him.

Phil Ivey and Andrew Robl have posted $2.5 million in bail for Phua and his son, Darren, 22.

Two other defendants — Malaysian junketeer Seng Chen “Richard” Yong, 56, and his son, Wai Kin Yong, 22 — are in custody.

Federal prosecutors consider Richard Yong, who also is well-known on the professional poker circuit, a leader of the betting operation. Both men have a hearing today before a magistrate in a bid to get released.