 Poker Perv on Target
to Win 2008 World
Series of Poker
A convicted poker
perv and someone the
United States
Government has
wanted to deport
back to Iran is now
among the leaders at
this year's World
Series of Poker
We can't make this
stuff up. No,
we really cannot.
A convicted child
predator was among
the top 20 on the
World Series of
Poker leader board
Saturday evening.
And with only a few
days of play left,
Shahram "Shawn"
Sheikhan, is poised
to end up at the
final table of the
event. What
if???
Gambling911.com and
Tom Somach have
reported extensively
on the past
activities,
conviction and the
deportation efforts
of the United States
Government related
to Sheikhan.
Sheikhan, you might
recall, once served
nine months for
sexual battery and
annoyance or
molestation of a
child
The manager of a
downtown youth
clothing and
amenities store at
the time of his
arrest, Sheikan ran
a "diversity" store
catering to
teenagers with items
such as clothing,
backpacks, and
posters. The teen
victims were 17 and
16, respectively.
"I felt like a piece
of meat," one girl
testified. "We felt
we should stand up
for ourselves. I had
nightmares about
him, and I didn't
want other people to
have to go through
this."
He did not deny
trial testimony that
he tried to persuade
the two girls to
have sex in exchange
for a skateboard,
but said he was
kidding.
"It was just a big
joke and that's why
I'm sitting in this
hole." Sheikan said.
"I am not a
criminal. I'm a
businessman. I don't
prey on young
girls."
Though the event
took place in 1995
and one could - by
this time - give
Sheikhan the benefit
of the doubt by
presuming him a
"reformed man", this
wasn't the last time
the poker pro would
find himself on the
wrong side of the
law.
 In 1999, Sheikhan
played a role in the
accidental death of
a 91-year old Las
Vegas woman.
“One of the two
deaths attributed to
the storm was the
result of an auto
accident just after
11 a.m., when a car
hydroplaned in the
northwest part of
the valley. A
Mercedes, driven by
Las Vegan Shahram
Sheikhan, 29, was
traveling at speeds
too fast for the
slick road
conditions on
Buffalo Drive just
north of Charleston
Boulevard, Metro
Police said. The
Mercedes slid across
the raised center
median of southbound
Buffalo and struck a
Lincoln traveling in
the northbound
lanes, police said.
The female
passenger,
91-year-old Dorathy
Ohriner of Las
Vegas, died at the
scene, the Clark
County Coroner’s
office said today.
The Lincoln was
driven by Neil
Ohriner, 66, also of
Las Vegas, police
said Sheikhan and
Mr. Ohriner were
taken to University
Medical Center with
moderate injuries.”
Last year,
Immigration
officials arrested
Sheikhan at his Las
Vegas home. It seems
the poker pro
arrived in the US at
the age of 9 and
authorities have
deemed him "unfit to
remain in the US".
"This individual was
targeted for ICE
arrest because of
his criminal
history," Virginia
Kice, a spokeswoman
for U.S. Immigration
and Customs
Enforcement told the
Las Vegas Review
Journal. "ICE has an
ongoing initiative
called Operation
Predator targeting
individuals,
including foreign
nationals, who prey
upon and sexually
exploit children.
"We want to see him
removed from the
United States."
Somach,
a noted contributor
to the San Francisco
Chronicle and a
writer for
PokerHelper.com
finds it
irreprehensible that
this individual
should be permitted
to take part in an
event as respected
as The World Series
of Poker.
"Seriously, do u
think a guy
convicted of child
molestation and
serving nine months
in jail would be
allowed to compete
in the Olympics?"
Somach asked.
"Or the Super Bowl
for that matter? or
anything of
substance? But he
can be in the WSOP
and nobody cares."
Nonetheless, Somach
is not surprised by
how this is all
unfolding. In
fact, he has been
predicting Sheikhan
could end up at the
final table.
"It would be
something if poker
perv makes the final
table of the main
event...four mos of
national media
attention til its
played off would not
be good for him."
As of Saturday
night, Shahram
"Shawn" Sheikhan was
in 12th place on the
World Series of
Poker leader board.
Christopher
Costigan,
Gambling911.com
Publisher
CCostigan@CostiganMedia.com
Originally published
July 12, 2008 9:19
pm EST
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