The Mike Postle scandal burst back into life this week. Claims that the alleged Stones Live Poker cheat has been hiding from those trying to serve him with a $30million civil lawsuit emerged.
A new legal filing by lawyer Mac Verstandig accuses Mike Postle of being “actively engaged in the avoidance of service.”
Verstandig launched the civil case late last year on behalf of dozens of players believed to have been cheated by Postle. This week he revealed the numerous attempts to serve Postle with a court summons.
He claims that on five separate occasions throughout late December, the process server retained by Verstandig’s law firm was unable to locate Mike Postle.
Undeterred, Verstandig decided to deal with the matter himself. He doorstepped the cash game player’s house in Antelope, California on the evening of January 3rd this year.
Mike Postle Home Alone
‘While at the House, I interchangeably knocked on the door and rang the door-bell, announcing my presence, for a period of approximately eight minutes…’ stated Verstandig in this week’s supplemental filing, first reported by award-winning journalist Haley Hintze.
He added that during these 8 minutes, ‘I observed lights to be on the House, I observed a Lincoln MKX with California license plate … to be parked in the House’s driveway, and I heard noises emanate from inside of the House.’
What followed, according to Verstandig, was Mike Postle appearing in his home, attempting to remain hidden…
‘I then saw a male, meeting the description of the Defendant (whose description I know from viewing myriad photographs, viewing dozens of video recordings, and one personal meeting before this litigation), inside the House, standing atop the stairwell.
The lawyer added: ‘At this juncture, I returned to the door of the House, commenced to knock on the door and ring the doorbell interchangeably once again so as to announce my presence. I witnessed movements through a window curtain and noises drawing nearer to the door upon which I was knocking.’
With Postle unable or unwilling to answer the doorbell, Verstandig then placed the ‘summons and complaint…between the security door and the front door of the House, calling out for the Defendant.’
Verstandig again claims to have ‘witnessed movement inside the House, through windows affording a view of the upstairs portion of the House,’ when returning to his car.
This week’s court filing also reveals that the lawyer believed to be working on Mike Postle’s behalf, William Portanova, who has failed to return several phone calls relating to accepting the court summons.
Mr. Portanova not representing Postle
According to Verstandig, Mr. Portanova had claimed he is not representing Postle in any civil case. As a criminal lawyer, Portanova may yet reappear if an ongoing Department of Justice investigation leads to criminal charges against Postle or others.
Verstandig’s affidavit of service declaring “summons returned executed”– which asks the court to consider Postle as having been notified of the lawsuit – rests on the following factors as given in his filing:
- ‘Portanova’s failure to respond after speaking with the Defendant
- ‘the professional process server’s five (5) unsuccessful service attempts
- ‘the Defendant’s failure to respond to a litigation hold letter prior to this suit
- ‘severity of the allegations lodged against the Defendant herein
- ‘the nature of one or more ongoing criminal investigations into the Defendant’s behavior implicated herein
- ‘the totality of the circumstances.”
The presiding judge in the case, US District Judge Morrison C. England, will now consider the latest filing. If he accepts Verstandig’s account, it should force Postle into making a legal response.
Background to Postlegate
The $30million lawsuit started in October last year. It followed a community-led investigation into Mike Postle’s incredible winning streak in the live-streamed Stones Live Poker cash game in Sacramento’s Stones Gambling House…
This afternoon, @Angry_Polak and 24 of her colleagues took the next step in availing themselves of the American judicial system. We are proud to serve as their counsel and look forward to pursuing this matter in court. https://t.co/qcYs7WIAPp pic.twitter.com/cCaRpNCF2A
— Mac VerStandig (@mac_verstandig) October 8, 2019
Veronica ‘Angry_Polk’ Brill, a player in, and occasional commentator on, the games in question, was the whistleblower sparking the investigation.
The 25 players noted above has since swollen to almost four times that number in the months since.
The lawsuit also names as defendants floor manager Justin Kuraitis and the Stones Gambling House’s parent company, Kings Casino. (This latter entity is nothing to do with the Czech casino owned by Leon Tsoukernik)
The case is potentially the biggest scandal poker has seen in almost a decade. However, if you haven’t been following the case in detail, please check out the articles below:
- Mike Postle cheating allegations take the internet by storm
- Everything you need to know about the Mike Postle cheating scandal
- Mike Postle challenges Doug Polk to a Heads-Up Match – Polk fires back!
- Mike Postle and Stones Live hit with $30,000,000 Lawsuit – Everything you need to know about the upcoming Mike Postle Trial
- Matt Berkey and Jonathan Little provide new evidence in Mike Postle cheating scandal
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