One year ago yesterday, on Sunday the 15th of April, 2011, federal agents of the United States closed several leading poker sites in an event that has been forever after dubbed Black Friday in the online gaming community. Since Black Friday, one affected site (Poker Stars) has recovered gracefully, one site (Absolute Poker) has all but disappeared from the radar entirely, while one site seems to be fighting attacks left and right from players and even some of its own former Team members for far deeper degrees of inappropriate (and possibly illegal) behavior beyond that which led directly to its closure.
Full Tilt Poker is now defending itself in a new class-action suit brought by 4 plaintiffs in Las Vegas, Nevada against Chris Ferguson (aka Jesus) and Howard Lederer (aka The Professor), directors of the embattled poker site, alleged charges of conversion.
The complaint also says that the two FullTilt directors exercised an unlawful level of control and dominion over the money players kept in their Full Tilt Poker accounts. It talked about Ponzi scheme allegations against the site and claims that Lederer received around $42 million in profit sharing payouts and distributions and that Ferguson received around $85 million in same, also claiming that for both of them, some of these funds may have been received as “loans”.
The defendants have yet to reply to the suit. However, in similar allegations filed against them in Los Angeles, CA by other complainants last October, 2011, they denied all such complaints.