Absolute Poker Executive Turns Himself in to US Authorities

One of the founders of the online poker group Absolute Poker turned himself in to US authorities this week to face charges related to the 2011 Black Friday indictments, ending more than 5 years of exile in the Caribbean.

Scott Tom turned himself into US authorties this week, pleading not guilty to the crimes of money laundering, consipiracy, and violating federal gambling laws. He was booked and released on $500,000 bond. Tom and his attorney James Henderson have been negotiating with federal authorities for quite some time, and it is expected that a plea deal will come quickly.

Tom was one of eleven people indicted by the US Department of Justice in 2011, wherein authorities cracked down on PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker. The raids became known as the Black Friday indictments, as they effectively ended many of the top poker sites from offering services to Americans. Tom's Absolute Poker folded shortly thereafter, and Full Tilt was purchased by PokerStars, who agreed to pay a massive fine to the US government in order to settle the case.

The government alleges that Tom and others raked in millions of dollars illegally by allowing financial transactions that went through shell companies that disguised those transactions to make it look like punters were purchasing goods rather than gambling credits.

Casino Listings will update this story as we learn more about the potential plea deal.