One of the loose ends in the almost two-year-old Full Tilt Poker debacle is the fate of Chris Ferguson (pictured), who may be close to settling with the U.S. Government if recent events are any indication. The Government has been granted an extension to respond to Ferguson’s motion to dismiss the civil case against him, a possible indicator that a resolution may be within sight.

Ferguson was not named in the initial April 2011 Black Friday indictments, but in September 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York filed an amended complaint seeking judgments against the core brain-trust of Full Tilt: Ferguson, Howard Lederer, Rafe Furst, and Ray Bitar.

The amendment alleged that the group received great benefits from an illegal gambling business, a business which, to make matters worse, defrauded its customers as an alleged Ponzi scheme. The Government sought massive forfeitures from the four men, including $42 million from Ferguson, $42.5 million from Lederer, $11.7 from Furst, and $40.8 from Bitar.

Lederer, Furst, and Bitar have all reached resolutions in their cases to one extent or another, but Ferguson, who has essentially disappeared from the face of the earth, is still trying to get his case dismissed. In the letter dated January 28, 2013, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara requested the extension for response, writing, “Counsel for the Government and Ferguson have spent substantial time over the past few weeks in hopes of reaching a resolution,” noting that settlement discussions have been “extensive.”

Judge Kimba Wood granted the extension, moving the deadline from January 28 to February 19. There is no guarantee that anything will be settled within the next two weeks, but this could be an indication that both parties want to keep progressing toward a resolution.

Furst settled his case at the end of November 2012. He agreed to forfeit an account in the name of Telamonian Ajax Trust held at Switzerland’s Pictet & Co. Bankers. Furst is also handing over an additional $150,000 in penalties.

Lederer had things taken care of in mid-December 2012, agreeing to a similar, although likely more expensive, deal (the amount of money in the Telamonian Ajax Trust was not revealed). Lederer(pictured with Bitar and Harry Reid) had to hand over two bank accounts, two properties estimated to be valued at close to $1 million combined, and a 1965 Shelby Cobra automobile. He was also required to liquidate $168,000 from multiple accounts and give that money to the U.S. Government. He paid a civil money laundering penalty of $1.25 million.

As part of Furst’s and Lederer’s deals, they admitted no liability or guilt in any matter. Both were also forbidden from making money either directly or indirectly from an internet gambling businesses until laws permit legal gaming sites to exist in the U.S.

Bitar (pictured), the former CEO of Full Tilt, may not get off so easily. Unlike the other three men, Bitar is facing criminal charges, including money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and conspiracy to violate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). He surrendered to law enforcement officials in July 2012and pleaded not guilty to all charges. His initial bail was set at $250,000, but Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman raised it to $2.4 million, with $1 million of it needing to be paid in cash.

Eventually, a deal was struck that allowed Bitar to be released on bond and remain in his California home under house arrest while awaiting further court appearances. In the agreement, $280,000 of the $2.5 million bond was paid in cash, $715,000 in real property, and rest made up by the value of a warehouse owned by Bitar. He was also required to forfeit all of his travel documents and had to produce documentation of all of his assets.

Bitar faces as much as 145 years in prison.

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