Internet Texas Holdem

If you pay close attention to the big download free poker sites, you might have heard of Jose Macedo and the trouble he has had with his poker playing peers. His reputation, along with those of his backers (Haseeb “DogIsHead” Qureshi and Daniel “Jungleman” Cates), has been ruined for good.

Macedo has promised to pay back the $30k he scammed from the players that fell into his scheme. But recently Lock Poker, a room that gives a variety of poker bonuses, decided it was going to sue Macedo.

Before the scandal unfolded, Macedo had gained a spot on Lock Poker’s Elite Pro team. This position was taken away after the accusations and admission of guilt that followed, however. Most observers assumed this would be the relative end of the story as Macedo would most likely disappear after paying back his victims.

A poker forum thread revealed that Lock Poker was intending to sue Macedo, however. This was announced by cardroom manager Erik Lynch. Lynch gave no details and only stated that information would be released in the near future.

We can only speculate the basis of this legal action. Some people think that he…

The US government handed out a nine-count federal indictment to eleven people involved with PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and AP/UB. Allegations against those accused include money laundering as well as bank and wire fraud. Payment processors that served the three money poker sites are also among those charged.

A US magistrate in New York saw Bradley Franzen, one of the accused, plea not guilty. Franzen, a payment processor, is in trouble with the law for creating fake companies and websites with the intentions of disguising the fact that payments were going to poker sites. He is also accused of deceiving banks about such payments.

FBI agents saw Franzen surrender himself in New York yesterday. He was released on a $200k bond that was secured by the home of his parents. If he is found guilty of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, he could receive up to 30 years in prison.

Also pleading guilty is Chad Elie, another payment processor for online poker rooms. Arrested in Vegas last Friday, he has been charged for money laundering, bank fraud, and wire fraud. Similar to Franzen, he is also accused of trying to pass off poker transactions as…