Malaysian businessman Paul Phua—accused of leading a World Cup betting scheme in Las Vegas—and his son have been released after poker pros Phil Ivey and Andrew Robl posted their bail.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Wei Seng “Paul” Phua and his son Darren Phua had been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for possible deportation.
Ivey and Robl posted $2.5 million in cash to bail them out on the charges.
Ivey put up $1 million–$500,000 toward Paul Phua’s $2 million bail and the entire $500,000 bond for his son—according to court papers. Robl posted the other $1.5 million of the elder Phua’s bail.
The FBI charged that Paul Phua, 50, is a high-ranking member of the Hong Kong-based 14K Triad, one of the largest criminal syndicates in the world, the paper reported.
Ivey reportedly plans to bail out another defendant charged in the gambling case according to the Review Journal. The operation accepted bets on the World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil from exclusive suites at Caesars Palace, which was not a target of the investigation.
Ivey is prepared to post a $500,000 cash bond for Wai Kin Yong, 22, another Malaysian citizen who describes himself as a professional poker player, according to court papers cited by the Review Journal.
