Police Raid Home Of WSOP Final Table Player Richard Lee

Wednesday, August 30, 2006
by BroadbandPoker.com Staff

San Antonio, TX police raided the home of World Series of Poker Main Event final table player Richard Lee on Tuesday night for evidence of what they called, "an extensive illegal internet gambling operation."

Police spokesman Joe Rios said he could confirm that the home located at the 100 block of Geddington St. was in fact searched and also the home of Richard Lee who recently placed 6th at the 2006 WSOP Main Event.

Rios goes on to say that Police have investigated the home for months before procuring enough evidence to secure the search warrant.

Inside the home, they found dozens of receipts for deposits on payouts from gambling proceeds, Rios said.

"We're talking payouts well over $500,000," he said. "It was a pretty well-oiled machine they were running out here."

Although Lee's house was one of several houses searched, Rios called the home owned by Lee the "brains or the nerve center of the operation."

A money-counting machine; five Lexus cars, including two sports utility vehicles and three sedans; multiple plasma-screen TVs; and a large amount of cash were seized, he said.

Lee, who finished 6th at the 2006 WSOP Main Event and won over $2.8 Million in prize money was not formally arrested, but police did say Tuesday that evidence was found and that they can now move forward.

Update as of 1:38pm, Wedneday, August 30, 2006

Richard Lee Reacts To Raid

"Just a few hours ago I was one of San Antonio's favorite sons," Lee said, sitting outside his posh home Wednesday morning beside a gurgling stone fountain. "It seems like maybe I've gone from hero to zero in the course of a few hours."

No one had been arrested early Wednesday.

Lee declined to comment about his online activities, pointing out that no official allegations had been made. But he said he was unaware that he had done anything illegal.

"I don't believe I've done anything wrong, and if they prove differently on something I thought was OK, well, I guess I'm going to have to cross that bridge when I get to it," he said.

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