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No more legal issues for David Rheem
The case of David Rheem is now closed in Broward County. His seat at the World Series of Poker is safe.
On July 15, Rheem became one of nine players to reach the final table at the World Series of Poker, set for Nov. 9. He’s short-stacked, but he’s one of the more experienced players at the table. First prize: $9.1 million.
Rheem, who lived in South Florida around the age of 20, had an outstanding warrant out for his arrest. News surfaced after our research department ran a routine public records check on him, which we do on every story source.
We found he had two felony convictions – we’ll touch on those later – and, in this case worse, a warrant still outstanding, for a 2003 trespassing charge that was never resolved. He was cited at the Diplomat Hotel in Hollywood; the police report doesn’t say much more.
Broward Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren said it wasn’t likely the warrant would be a problem, but if he happened to be in Broward, got stopped for some minor traffic infraction, then ...
But on Aug. 6 this year, Miami-Dade lawyer John Hager took the trespassing charge in front of Lerner-Wren and pled guilty. So it’s done.
“We could have won, but didn’t want to take the time,” Hager said. (One gambling web site earlier reported how "Hollywood police" weren't pursuing it, which was mistaken reporting on their part; the police don't make the call on who to pursue on a warrant, the county courthouse does.)
Rheem didn’t need to appear, and Hager hadn’t met him. And Hager didn’t know Rheem had a shot at $8.2 million.
“Guess I should have charged him more,” Hager said.
A bit of background: Rheem was picked up once on the outstanding warrant – on what lawyers call a ‘capias’ – in Orlando in Feb. 6, 2004. You could argue that should have motivated him to take care of it then. Through one of his sponsors, PokerStars.net, he has declined an interview request. (Can’t say I blame him.)
Meanwhile, I pulled the two files on his felonies. You’re probably curious and so was I.
Turns out his two cases of “Burglary on an unoccupied structural conveyance” -- police talk – means he broke into cars and stole stuff. They also got him with marijuana.
On Jan. 25, 2000, he took about sporting equipment from a car in Dania and sold it for $95 at a second-hand sports store, Play it Again Sports.
On Feb. 27, 2000, a passerby saw him break into a car, and tracked him and the getaway driver down.
Rheem served four months, according to records. Looks like the cases were combined into one plea.
It happened eight years ago, when Rheem was 20, and while it a real pisser to have your car broken into – if you haven’t experienced it, good for you (I’ve been hit at least three times) – I’d suggest this post be the end of it. He did his time.
Rheem, now 28, said about as much to a publicist, who queried him about it, saying “I moved to California to get away from trouble,” according to the publicist. He was born in Los Angeles and spends most of his time there, although this summer he was in Europe playing. While in South Florida, he befriended Mike “The Grinder” Mizrachi and his family, and they’re all still good friends, other players say.
The internet boards have all said nice things about him, and a follow-up records check in California we ran, similar to what we ran here, shows no other incidents.
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