Suspect Arrested After Robbing High-Stakes Poker Pro Antonio Esfandiari Of $1 Million46-Year-Old Svitlana Silva Accused Of Burglarizing Esfandiari's Las Vegas Condo |
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Police have arrested Svitlana Silva, a 46-year-old woman suspected of robbing the Las Vegas condo of high-stakes poker pro Antonio Esfandiari in July.
Silva, a former poker dealer, is accused of stealing upwards of $1 million in cash, chips, jewelry, and other valuables belonging to Esfandiari and his father Bejan, and using the funds to gamble. According to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Silva had previously been in a relationship with Bejan, and had knowledge of various access codes, including the combination to a safe.
The stolen haul amounted to $150,000 in cash, about $500,000 in casino chips, designer watches, and even Esfandiari’s custom Big One For One Drop bracelet, which he won along with $18.3 million at the 2012 World Series of Poker.
Silva was spotted gambling at the Bellagio poker room and reportedly played in a high-stakes private game before she was apprehended at the Aria on Aug. 23. Silva claimed innocence, however police found several $25,000 casino chips in her possession during her arrest and even told police she had additional chips in her car.
Silva was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of burglary and possession of stolen property. She has since been bailed out of jail, and a court case is scheduled for October.
Esfandiari is one of poker’s most popular players, and was at one point the winningest tournament player of all time. He is currently no. 16 on the all-time money list with $27.2 million and has three WSOP bracelets to go along with two World Poker Tour titles. Although he owns property in Las Vegas, he spends most of his time with his family at his home in Southern California.
Esfandiari isn’t the only poker pro who has been the victim of a home burglary. Doyle Brunson was beaten by robbers in a home invasion in 1998. In 2008, Hoyt Corkins had his house cleaned out of his two WSOP bracelets, and also two cars and a motorcycle.
WSOP main event champion Jonathan Duhamel was hospitalized in 2011 after he was attacked in his condo by two men assisted by his ex-girlfriend, forcing their way into his safe to steal his 2010 main event bracelet and cash. Danish poker star Theo Jorgensen was actually shot by thieves in his Denmark home for five-figures of Kroner in 2012.
Just last year, four-time WPT champion Darren Elias had his New Jersey home broken into. A man kept Elias’ babysitter at gunpoint while he ransacked the house looking for cash.
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