Illegal Gambling Proceeds of $800K Allegedly Laundered by Professional Poker Player James Kerr, According to Police Statements
In a shocking turn of events, James Kerr, a renowned professional poker player, was arrested in Winter Haven, Florida, on Tuesday, April 1. According to Tampa Bay's Fox 13, Kerr was charged with three counts of money laundering in excess of $100,000.
The arrest stems from an investigation into an illegal poker operation that was run from a former law office in Winter Haven. Undercover detectives infiltrated the clandestine game, and it was revealed that Kerr had been making hundreds of thousands of dollars from the illicit activity.
The Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, stated that Kerr was running a big-time illegal operation. Prosecutors allege that Kerr made around $800,000 from the illegal poker operation, a significant sum that he attempted to conceal from 2021 to 2023 by making multiple transactions totalling $833,478.
However, it is important to note that there are no public records or verified reports linking Kerr to money laundering charges related to this alleged illegal gambling operation in Florida.
Meanwhile, another high-profile figure in the poker world, Tom Goldstein, is facing tax evasion charges. Goldstein, a top lawyer and poker player, is believed to have won more than $50 million in heads-up matches from 2016 to 2021. Despite these substantial winnings, Goldstein failed to declare these earnings to the IRS, according to federal prosecutors, who have accused him of avoiding paying $5.3 million in taxes on his poker winnings.
In a separate case, Corey Zeidman, a WSOP bracelet winner, pleaded guilty in December to defrauding customers in his sports handicapping business.
A Polk County Court judge imposed a $60,000 bail on Kerr, and he has been ordered to wear a GPS monitor if he posts bail. The case against Kerr is ongoing, and further details will be made available as the investigation continues.
- James Kerr, a poker player famed in the casino-and-gambling world, was taken into custody in Winter Haven, Florida, following an investigation of an illegal gambling operation.
- The illegal gambling operation, run from a former law office in Winter Haven, allegedly earned Kerr around $800,000 from casino-games, a sum he is accused of trying to conceal via money laundering.
- Despite the money laundering charges, there are no public records or verified reports that directly link Kerr to these allegations in relation to the Florida operation.
- Meanwhile, in a separate case of crime-and-justice, another poker player, Tom Goldstein, is facing tax evasion charges, with federal prosecutors claiming he avoided paying $5.3 million in taxes on poker winnings from 2016 to 2021.
- In the general-news, Corey Zeidman, a WSOP bracelet winner, has pleaded guilty to defrauding customers in his sports handicapping business, a recent development in the realm of casino-and-gambling and crime-and-justice.
