Shane Hennen Guilty in Federal Poker Cheating Scheme

Shane Hennen entered a guilty plea to a wire‑fraud conspiracy charge in the Eastern District of New York, part of the federal “rigged poker” investigation that targets an illegal high‑stakes poker operation. The plea, entered on Tuesday, does not address a separate illegal‑gambling charge tied to former NBA coach Chauncey Billups, and Hennen’s sentencing is set for December 8. The scheme, alleged to have used hidden technology to predetermine card sequences, is linked to the Gambino and Genovese crime families and has drawn more than a dozen guilty pleas. Four additional defendants – Angelo Ruggiero Jr., Nicholas Minucci, and two others – pleaded guilty this week, raising the total number of pleas to fifteen out of the 31 originally charged. Prosecutors describe the operation as an organized‑crime‑backed effort that defrauded high‑roller participants in illegal poker games, and it is one of several related gambling investigations involving NBA players and college athletes.