Poker player loses bid to depose U.S. attorney over race bias
A top poker player implicated in an alleged $31 million debt collection scheme lost his bid to depose Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on whether race played a role in his case.
Travell Thomas, 37, claimed in court and in recently filed documents Bharara's office appears to target blacks in debt collection prosecutions.
The Federal Trade Commission typically pursues civil cases against debt collection companies - even when criminal charges could be brought.
Of the four consumer-oriented cases prosecuted by Bharara since 2013, two deals with debt collection company owners, his lawyers have claimed.
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And the two owners of debt collection companies involved - including Thomas, who has won two World Series of Poker Circuit gold rings - happen to be black men, his lawyers said.
Manhattan federal judge Judge Katherine Polk Failla said at a hearing Monday there wasn't enough evidence of selective prosecution to depose Bharara or other staffers.
Failla will allow the accused fraudster's lawyer to bring up the argument again if he comes across more evidence.
"We're going to take a harder look at it," Marvin Schechter, Thomas's lawyer, said after the proceeding.
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