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August 31st 2006
Police raid house of Richard Lee (6th in WSOP main-event)
Could this be the most controversial final table in World Series history? Not for the final table action itself of course, but for the behaviour of its inhabitants off the felt. Champion Jamie Gold is already being sued for half his winnings after allegedly reneging on a deal, and now Richard Lee, the much-liked sixth placed finisher, is being investigated for illegal gambling.
Apparently Richard Lee was the subject of a long-running investigation into illegal Internet gambling long before the World Series began. As a result police have seized a large quantity of his property as part of the investigation.
“Our vice detectives have been conducting a comprehensive investigation and they believe proceeds from illegal gambling have bought a lot of items in this house," police spokesman Joe Rios told a San Antonio Television Station. "Anytime we have that type of investigation that leads us to believe there's illegal property in the house we have authority to seize it. We’re taking all the vehicles and the property inside the house.”
Police reportedly found dozens of receipts for gambling winnings totalling in excess of $500,000 and seized large quantities of cash as well as five Lexus cars. As yet it is not clear whether Lee is thought to have been operating a gambling site, cheating gambling sites, or simply winning money in a legitimate manner but on illegitimate sites.
The news will come as a particular surprise to WSOP observers who might remember Richard Lee as the one player who refused to make a sponsorship deal before the final table. Instead Lee said: “The only thing I’m endorsing is God, my family and the city of San Antonio. There wasn’t enough money they could give me to change my mind on that.”
The question now being asked is: if authorities can prove his WSOP entry was bought with illegal funds, then will his $2.8 million winnings be fair game as well? If the answer is yes it could have terrible consequences for future poker tournaments. Perhaps entry via online poker rooms will become a thing of the past, as anyone found to have won their ticket by playing on an illegal online poker room could potentially have their winnings confiscated.
Watch this space.
Submitted: 31/08/2006 10:52:50
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