Taiwanchik-Trincher Update 2: Vadim Trincher’s $10M Bond, Other Seizure Details

24th October 2013 // Legal News, News

Former World Poker Tour winner Vadim Trincher remains under house confinement under the terms of his bail agreement, according to court documents recently obtained by FlushDraw. Trincher, who rose to poker prominence in 2009 after winning the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic for more than $731,000, was among the principal defendants in a major bust by federal investigators this year of a major sportsbetting and money-laundering racket with alleged direct ties to prominent Russian organized crime figures.

Trincher, whose palatial $8 million Trump Towers condo in New York City was the site of many elite poker games, the operation of which also figured in the case’s extensive list of charges, faced a $10 million bail requirement which he was able to meet only through the co-signing of friends within the Russian-American community.

Trincher’s condo itself was seized after being declared part of the fruits of the long-running gambling operations, which involved several interrelated rings and spanned the country, in addition to extensive use of online gambling sites and the alleged funneling of millions of dollars in illicit revenue from the racketeering to international crime boss Alimzhan “Taiwanchik” Tokhtakhounov, who remains a fugitive from US jurisdiction, living in Russia. Tokhtakhounov and Trincher together are alleged to have headed up the so-called “Taiwanchik-Trincher Ring,” the largest of the multiple rings targeted in the investigation, whose participants and leaders (including Trincher) face the most serious charges.

The court documents obtained by FlushDraw show that Trincher was able to meet bond only after obtaining at least six co-signers who pledged property or cash in guarantee of Trincher’s future court appearance, with a combined value well over $3 million. Among the six is prominent poker pro Eugene Katchalov, a Ukraine-born American who has talked about his close friendship with the Trinchers in interviews, and who was backed by Vadim Trincher in his own poker breakthrough.

Katchalov, who is not among the 34 defendants in the Taiwanchik-Trincher case and is not alleged to have committed wrongdoing, backed Trincher’s bond by putting up an unspecified Brooklyn property valued at at least $300,000, according to the filings. Elizabeth Katchalova (Elizaveta Katchalova), who appears to be either Katchalov’s mother or sister (both have that name), is another of Trincher’s guarantors. Here’s a complete list of Trincher’s co-signers, in addition to the securing of two other properties owned by Trincher himself:

Vladimir and Lisa Syelsky, real property in California with a net equity exceeding $1,500,000;
Anna Shoykhet, real property in the Chicago area with a net equity exceeding $750,000;
Eugene Katchalov, real property in Brooklyn, NY with a net equity exceeding $300,000;
Elizabeth Katchalov, real property in Brooklyn, NY with a net equity exceeding $250,000;
Ken Bordewick, real property in California with a net equity exceeding $500,000;
Flora Yankelevich, an IRA with a value exceeding $40,000.

The deal also included Vadim’s wife, Elena, and two sons and co-defendants (Illya and Eugene) as co-signers. Vadim, who like the other major defendants in the case is not among the 12 minor defendants who have already reached deals with prosecutors, faced several other restrictions in order to secure his bail package, which was finalized in June. Among those were strict pre-trial supervisions and continuing contact with both SDNY and EDNY prosecutors, the surrendering of his passport (and an agreement not to seek another one), 24-hour home confinement and electronic anklet monitoring, with leave only for medical necessity and to visit his elderly mother, with pre-approval.

The seizure of Trincher’s Trump Tower apartment wasn’t the only such seizure action connected to the case. Trincher lost roughly $2.5 million in cash, casino chips and assorted jewelry which was seized in conjunction with the raids, according to a follow-up “bill of particulars” recently filed into the court dockets connected to the case.

The vast majority of that was a healthy collection of Bellagio and Aria casino chips — 85 $25,000 chips and 35 $5,000 chips. Bellagio chips, even the “chocolate” ones, have long been recognized as the most liquid of all casino chips within the gambling world and are commonly accepted at other casinos and, as it appears, in nosebleed home games as well.

The recent list of seized property also includes assets taken from other defendants in the case, including Arthur Azen, Anatoly Golubchik and poker- and gambling-world veteran Abe Mosseri. Like Trincher, Mosseri lost some Bellagio-linked property, particularly $245,000 in cash and chips which was seized from his security box at the Bellagio.

The latest update to the seized-property list included these entries:

1. $506,100.00 in United States currency seized from 34-36 10th Street, Apartment #6W, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
2. $2,171.00 in United States currency seized in the vicinity of Santa Monica Boulevard and Canon Drive in Beverly Hills, California on April 16, 2013;
3. $77,477.00 in United States currency seized from 721 5th Avenue, Apartment #63AB, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
4. $7,800.00 in United States currency seized in front of 1500 Blue Jay Way in Los Angeles, California on April 16, 2013;
5. $3,282.00 in United States currency seized from 147 Lexington Avenue, 1st Floor, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
6. $10,000.00 in United States currency seized from 147 Lexington Avenue, PH3, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
7. One Black 2012 Porsche Cayenne bearing VIN # WP1AC2A22CLA83164 seized in the vicinity of Santa Monica Boulevard and Canon Drive in Beverly Hills, California on April 16, 2013;
8. 1,550 Euros valued at approximately $2,023.47 in United States currency seized from 721 5th Avenue, Apartment #63AB, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
9. 120 Assorted Bellagio and Aria Casino Poker Chips (35 $5,000 chips and 85 $25,000 chips) valued at a total of approximately $2,300,000.00 in United States currency seized from 721 5th Avenue, Apartment #63AB, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
10. 17 $50.00 Liberty fine gold .999 coins and 50 pieces of 1 oz. fine gold .999 ingots valued at a total of approximately
$93,075.00 in United States currency seized from 721 5th Avenue, Apartment #63AB, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
11. Miscellaneous jewelry and precious items seized from 721 5th Avenue, Apartment #63AB, New York, New York on April 16, 2013;
12. Miscellaneous Jewelry seized from TD Bank Branch 781, 1400 Palisade Avenue, Safe Deposit Box #141, Fort Lee, New Jersey on April 16, 2013 held in the name Anatoly and Yelena Golubchik;
13. Miscellaneous jewelry seized from 426 Deisius Street, Staten Island, New York on April 16, 2013;
14. Various collectible coins seized from 426 Deisius Street, Staten Island, New York on April 16, 2013;
15. 11 Bellagio Casino Chips (8 $25,000 chips and 3 $5,000 chips) valued at a total of approximately $215,000.00 in United States currency seized from Bellagio Resort and Casino, 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Safe Deposit Box #3110, Las Vegas, Nevada on May 15, 2013 held in the name of Abraham Mosseri; and
16. $30,000.00 in United States currency seized from Bellagio Resort and Casino, 3600 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Safe Deposit Box #3110, Las Vegas, Nevada on May 15, 2013 held in the name of Abraham Mosseri.