Paul Phua Sports Gambling Case tossed out - Key Evidence suppressed

Almost one year after being arrested for running a high stakes World Cup betting ring out of Caesars Palace villas, Paul Phua will walk after a federal judge dismissed the case against him.

Judge Andrew P. Gordon made the decision after determining that the prosecution didn’t have enough evidence to constitute a trial. Months before this, Gordon ruled that key evidence couldn’t be used in the case against Phua because the FBI conducted unconstitutional searches, misrepresented facts, and made a material omission in a search warrant.

Paul Phua’s attorneys, David Chesnoff and Thomas Goldstein, were excited for their client and called this ruling a victory “for all Americans concerned about security and personal rights.”

This case stems back to July 9, when federal authorities raided the Caesars Palace villas where Phua and eight Chinese/Malaysian nationals were staying. FBI agents worked with Caesars to cut internet access to Phua’s rooms, then posed as cable repairmen to gain access. Upon entering the rooms, authorities found piles of evidence linking the group to an illegal World Cup betting ring that was making millions of dollars in profits. Just weeks before this, Phua had been arrested in Macau for similar charges, which is likely why he moved his operation to Las Vegas.

The Malaysian businessman is well known in high stakes poker circles, having competed in some of the biggest cash games and tournaments in the world. He also runs one of the world’s largest sports betting sites and is involved with Macau junket companies, which bring high rollers to the area through underground banking networks. And according to the Wall Street Journal, Phua is also believed to have ties to organized crime. But none of this mattered in the Caesars Palace case, given the murky circumstances under which authorities gathered evidence.

Originally, six of the eight defendants in this case pleaded guilty, including Phua’s son, Darren. Despite so many guilty pleas from those associated with Paul, he chose to fight the case on grounds that the evidence should be thrown out. Although a risky move because he was facing more prison time this way, it appears that another gamble has paid off for the Malaysian high roller.