Nevada Officials Issue Arrest Warrant for Seals With Clubs Honcho

The Bitcoin-only poker site Seals With Clubs made historic strides as a poker room that employed the virtual currency exclusively in processing transactions. History will apparently be rewritten once again as the site's former chairman, Bryan Micon, is being charged in Nevada with a felony for operating the site without a license.

An arrest warrant was issued for Micon on the charge that could land the poker pro in prison for up to 10 years along with a fine of $50,000, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Further details will apparently be revealed following a news conference scheduled for today by the Nevada Attorney General’s Office.

Seals With Clubs shut down on February 11 following a morning raid of Micon's home in Las Vegas at the behest of the Nevada Gaming Commission. The agents confiscated computers and other electronics belonging to the innovative poker site operator.

Hello Antigua

Micon has since relocated to Antigua with his family and relaunched the Bitcoin-only site under a new domain - SwCPoker.eu. As of this writing, PokerScout reports that the new site averages 32 cash players, about one-third of the traffic at the original Seals With Clubs.

Players at the old site were given 60 days to withdraw their funds as of March 5, which means that only about one week is left to do so before the May 5 deadline. Micon assured players that their funds were never in jeopardy.

According to documents filed in court by the Nevada Attorney General, the time frame in which authorities have zeroed in on Seals With Clubs operating is March 1, 2014 to Feb. 9, 2015. During that time, Seals With Clubs accepted the cryptocurrency “without first procuring and thereafter maintaining in effect the required licenses.”

Creativity Stifled

Micon is believed to still be in Antigua, stating in a YouTube video following the raid on his home two months ago that, “After I was led out in handcuffs in my underwear, it was pretty clear that it was proper to leave sooner rather than later.” The Bitcoin advocate added that he was concerned about raising his daughter "in a police state where creativity is often met with guns, handcuffs.”

Micon has earned more than $500,000 in live tournaments, according to the Hendon Mob. His biggest payday was the WSOP Main Event in 2006 where 63rd place resuled in a cash of $123,699. He finished in-the-money in four WSOP events that year, including 9th place in a $2,000 NLHE event that added $74,620 to his bankroll.

Micon has yet to respond to the latest action taken by authorities in Nevada, but his lawyer said that “Bryan has always maintained that he committed no wrongdoing."