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Rafe Furst New Target of Full Tilt Investigation

The Department Of Justice continues its blitzkrieg against everyone involved in Full Tilt Poker’s alleged involvement with money laundering and fraud. The agency has added a new name to its hit list: Full Tilt Poker player Rafe Furst.
The decision to charge Furst came shortly after Tuesday’s indictments of poker celebrities Christopher Ferguson and Howard Lederer. The DOJ is still investigating the extent of Furst’s involvement, but has clarified that Furst was on the Board of Directors at Full Tilt and was also one of the recipients of the $440 million that was paid out with players’ winnings. He reportedly received almost $12 million over a four year stretch.
Furst insists he has done nothing wrong and even released an open letter to that effect, saying that he’s upset that the investigation will have a detrimental effect on those close to him.
Furst’s Pending Indictment
Furst played an integral role with Full Tilt Poker, but does the DOJ have evidence of wrongdoing or is he just guilty by association? That remains to be seen, but the DOJ definitely seem to have enough to charge him. His involvement became evident as more light was shed on Full Tilt’s problems.
Along with Lederer, Ferguson and FTP CEO Ray Bitar, Furst is facing fraud charges. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says the fraud amounted to over $300 million, and the DOJ isn’t about to take that lightly—not  by a long shot.
The Poker Players Alliance is very upset by everything that has come out of the Full Tilt case. The PPA issued a statement arguing that if this is true, it shows a severe act of betrayal to poker players all over the world. PPA Executive Director John Pappas urges the DOJ to seek a settlement that includes restitution for any players who may have been taken advantage of.
Regardless of the allegations against him, Rafe Furst continues to insist he has nothing to hide. He isn’t allowed to comment on the case, but has issued a statement on his personal blog describing his innocence:
“From a moral, personal and interpersonal perspective I feel I’ve got nothing to hide. And since I trust in our system of justice and have the utmost respect for my legal counsel, I will refrain from talking about the case until it’s resolved.”