A Malaysian poker player charged last year with running an illegal World-Cup gambling ring from his luxury suite at Caesars Palace may be allowed to leave the U.S. after two court rulings that have sunk the case against him.
Justice Department lawyers Friday dropped their opposition to Wei Seng “Paul” Phua’s request to return home while the case remains pending.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon in Las Vegas three days ago threw out the evidence collected in July from a $25,000-a-night villa stacked with banks of computers and monitors and televisions tuned into World Cup games.
“The government recognizes that this is a significant change in circumstances,” according to the filing by prosecutors, who said it may be weeks before they decide whether to appeal the judge’s rulings.
Phua, 50, a businessman with interests in luxury hotels and mining and a competitor in international poker tournaments, told the court May 22 he wants to return to Malaysia because his mother is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer.
He said he would return to the U.S. rather than let a trial proceed in his absence because he intends to clear his name.
“Mr. Phua is not looking to flee; he seeks to prove his innocence and to restore his reputation,” according to his filing.
“Indeed, Mr. Phua has litigated this case even though refusing to plead has separated him from his life and his family for an extended period of time.”
In a response to the government’s filing, Phua retracted his earlier proposal to leave his $48-million private jet behind as collateral.
As it may take more than a year for the government to appeal Gordon’s rulings and bring the case to trial, leaving the plane in Nevada would cause “significant inconvenience and economic harm,” he said.
The judge last month faulted the FBI for using a ruse in which agents cut off Internet access to Phua’s villa and posed as repairmen to look for evidence of wrongdoing.
Gordon threw out the evidence collected during that search and this week ruled that evidence from later raids of two adjacent villas wouldn’t be allowed either.
“The evidence shows that the unconstitutional searches of Phua’s villa, and what was found there, influenced the government’s decision to seek a warrant to search the other villas,” Gordon said in a written decision.
“I do not find the government would have searched the other villas had it not first searched Phua’s.”
Phua’s son Darren and a group of other men and one woman, who occupied the two other villas and were arrested with him, have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and returned to Asia, leaving Phua as the remaining defendant.
The government in its filing Friday questioned whether Phua could return if he needed to stand trial because he doesn’t have a valid visa.
The gambler argues that prosecutors’ suggestion that he might not be able to attend his own trial is “disingenuous” because his visa would be entirely in the government’s control.
Gordon hasn’t ruled on Phua’s request to leave the country.
Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Las Vegas, declined Friday to comment on the case.
The case is U.S. v. Phua, 14-cr-00249, U.S. District Court, District of Nevada (Las Vegas).
Bloomberg
Sat May 30 2015
Phua told the court May 22 he wants to return to Malaysia because his mother is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer.
E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi
Kerajaan juga harus wujudkan sebuah dasar yang jelas supaya kepentingan e-sukan ini mampu diperkembangkan ke masa hadapan.
Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism
Kerajaan sentiasa memandang serius terhadap penularan ideologi dan aliran pemikiran yang bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam seperti ideologi liberalism dan pluralism agama.
Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM
Atlet di bawah projek Road To Gold (RTG) tidak mempunyai pilihan selain memenangi emas yang diidam-idamkan Malaysia pada Sukan Olimpik 2024 di Paris.
KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan
Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Kedah (KEDA) memperuntukkan RM3.37 juta pada tahun ini bagi memastikan keterjaminan makanan negara.
Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia
Rang Undang-Undang Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia 2024 yang bertujuan menubuhkan MCBA diluluskan persidangan Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.
PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024
Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara (PAC) akan memulakan prosiding bagi empat isu yang dibangkitkan dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (LKAN) Siri 2/2024.
AWANI Ringkas: Kes bunuh Nur Farah Kartini | Skandal LCS
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, kenapa tak umum tahun lepas? - MP Kampar
Chong Zhemin, tindakan tersebut seolah-olah satu penghinaan paling besar kepada Parlimen yang telah meluluskan pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan berkait Akta Antilompat Parti.
Masuk Pas untuk sama-sama susah dengan rakyat - ADUN Rembia
Muhamad Jailani berkata, sebelum ini beliau pernah menghantar surat kepada Lembaga Disiplin UMNO memohon untuk memecat keahliannya daripada parti Melayu itu.
[TERKINI] Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi Olimpik Paris 2024
Astro dipilih sebagai penyiar rasmi bagi Sukan Olimpik Paris 2024 bermula hujung bulan ini.