It seems like our ‘friendly neighborhood spiderman’ wants to keep his friendship with all that money he earned from Bradley Ruderman, a scammer who spent investors’ money on the poker games that he illegally organized. His lawyers claim that Maguire did not do anything wrong when he played at the games. However, bankruptcy lawyers are running after him as well as the other Hollywood hotshots who partook in the games, hoping to take back some of the money that Ruderman lost to them.
Spidey in the Wrong Side of the Law
The scandal that erupted when the underground poker scene in Hollywood was exposed would no doubt be talked about for a long time. Such high profile celebrities had participated in a game that was organized by a convicted investment scammer, and they had wagered millions. Tobey Maguire got the brunt of all the attention because he was said to have won the most from Ruderman. Ruderman is now facing more than ten years in prison, but the lawyers are still trying to look for a way to offset all that money he lost. To do that, they have been hounding the participants in the game, asking them to give back the money that they won. Maguire, on the other hand, insists that if that should be the case, then he would be spared from the $168,500 that he lost to Ruderman as well. Furthermore, he also claimed that he did nothing wrong by playing in the games and that he shouldn’t even be required to turn over his winnings in the first place. The money, if Maguire does end up having to return it, will go to a bankruptcy trustee.
Legal Loopholes
Maguire, however, could be in a fix here because some of the lawyers claim that they, in fact, have no claim over their winnings because the games were unlicensed. Therefore, if asked to pay back, then the actors should certainly do so. The games, though private, were being hosted for money, and are thereby illegal under California law. It’s still unknown which direction the case will go at this point. But one thing’s for sure, the issue will continue to draw attention as long as the participants are all celebs in the movie industry, or otherwise bigwigs in Beverly Hills. Indeed, it’s going to be interesting watching to see where this legal battle goes.
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