Black Friday Update: Lederer and Furst claim accounts, DoJ grants extension

Over the past two months, most of the major headlines on Full Tilt Poker have had to do with the potential sale of the company to the French investment group Groupe Bernard Tapie. Since the takeover by Groupe Bernard Tapie still in limbo, I thought I would bring you up to speed on what else has been going in regards to the still-ailing online poker site.

This past week we learned that Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and UB/Absolute Poker had been granted an extension by the Department of Justice to answer the charges filed against them on Black Friday. Now the three online poker rooms have until January 2^nd, 2012 to respond to the amended claims made by the DoJ. Each site filed its own Stipulation and Orders motion, citing the reasons they are seeking an extension. Here is a quick glimpse at a portion of the three which read eerily similar:

Full Tilt Poker Stipulation of Orders

“WHEREAS, Full Tilt is in settlement discussions with the United States and has requested additional time to answer or otherwise respond to the Amended Complaint; NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between the United State of America, by its attorney Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York…”

PokerStars Stipulation of Orders

“WHEREAS, the PokerStars Companies are settlement discussions with the United States and have requested additional time to answer or se respond to the Amended Complaint; NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between the United States of America, by its attorney Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York…”

Absolute Poker Stipulation of Orders

“WHEREAS, Absolute Poker is in settlement discussions with the United States and has requested additional time to answer or otherwise respond to the Amended Complaint; NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between the United States of America, by its attorney Preet Bharara, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York…”

Other recent Full Tilt Poker news has seen Rafe Furst and Howard Lederer follow the lead of Chris Ferguson and Ray Bitar, claiming bank accounts seized by the DoJ. Both men filed separate verified claims where Rafe Furst claimed ownership of accounts from Telamonian Ajax Trust (Furst is apparantly a Illiad fan) seized by the DoJ, while Lederer laid claim two accounts –7655741861 held at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., in the name of HH Lederer Consulting LLC and GB56LOYD30166314010402 held at Llyods TSB International, Isle of Mann.