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Bryan Zuriff, executive producer of Showtime‘s new drama series Ray Donovan, has been released after his indictment for being part of an alleged gambling and money laundering ring.
He was one of 34 individuals charged last month by a New York federal prosecutor with participating in activities sourced to the Russian mob. Other defendants include Hillel Nahmad, who ran the Helly Nahmad gallery inside the Carlyle Hotel, and Hollywood’s “Poker Princess” Molly Bloom, who once admitted to arranging high-stakes poker games in Hollywood that included the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck and others.
Zuriff has pleaded “not guilty” to charges and, on Friday, a $1 million personal recognizance bond was entered into federal court. The bond is a promise to pay — and it’s secured by his California home and two co-signers.
STORY: ‘Ray Donovan’ Exclusive: Go Behind the Scenes and Check Out the Key Art
According to the indictment, Zuriff was among several individuals who “operated an illegal bookmaking business that utilized gambling websites operating illegally in the United States.”
He was arraigned on April 19. The terms of his bail restrict his travel to California and New York, require regular pre-trial supervision and cut off contact between him and fellow co-defendants. Others in the case have also been released. For example, Bloom is out on a $100,000 bond while Nahmad is free on a $10 million bond being secured by his Trump Tower apartment. (Nahmad has also been required to undergo drug testing.)
Zuriff, who previously was an executive producer on the 2009 film The Messenger, is also required to maintain or seek employment. He is reported to have a deal with Mark Gordon Company, the production company behind Ray Donovan, a series about a professional “fixer” for the rich and famous in LA who can make anyone’s problems disappear except those created by his own family.
(As it happens, Zuriff’s Brentwood home was the location for the Judd Apatow comedy This Is 40, released last year. Zuriff, a neighbor of Apatow, told THR for a story earlier this year: “Our kids are friends.”)
Prosecutors have yet to publicly detail Zuriff’s involvement in the alleged crime syndicate said to have used a sophisticated scheme to launder tens of millions of dollars in gambling proceeds through bank accounts and shell companies in Eastern Europe.
Zuriff’s attorneys have denied any wrongdoing.
The court has scheduled a firm trial date of June 9, 2014.
Twitter: @eriqgardner
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