With the fame and glory of being a standout player at the World Series of Poker comes a major spotlight.

The attention Eric Cloutier, chip leader after Day 1a of the Main Event, will receive may not be the type he wants, however.

According to reports, Cloutier was arrested in February on more than 500 charges and will be arraigned in Louisiana court on 15 felony charges. Some of the charges include money laundering and tax fraud.

Cloutier, originally from Mont-Laurier, Quebec, went to Louisiana to play hockey for the Louisiana IceGators as a left wing in 1997 and played there for two seasons. He is now the owner of Marley’s Sports Bar and Karma nightclub, both in downtown Laffayette, La.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Control of Louisiana arrested the 34-year-old on Feb. 26 after he allegedly tampered with cash registers to veil and incorrectly report his sales, according to The Daily Advertiser, a Lafayette newspaper.

He faces 15 charges, which was lowered from 505 originally, said Laura Gerdes, public outreach coordinator for the Attorney General’s Office. The charges include laundering more than $100,000, four counts of filing false public records related to business taxes with the Louisiana Department of Revenue and one count of filing false public records with the Louisiana Alcohol Tobacco and Control office.

According to various reports, Cloutier is alleged to have laundered more than $1.4 million over a three-year period and was arrested after a nine-month investigation.

ATC officials told KALB-TV the more than 500 initial charges include two counts of felony theft — over $126,000 — as well as 340 counts of obstruction of justice, 92 counts of filing false records and 67 counts of computer fraud.

KADN, a television news station in Lafayette, reported he allegedly set up his registers at both businesses to not account for state and local taxes, which is what resulted in the tax fraud charges.

Cloutier’s arraignment will be on Aug. 18 in Lafayette. The ATC has also filed charges against Cloutier. He will need to return Louisiana by July 14 to appear in court in Baton Rouge. The Main Event ends on July 15, Day 8, with the final nine players, who would return to the Rio Hotel in Noevember for a live broadcast of the final table.

The first day of the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold’em (Event 57) began Friday with the first of four Day 1s. Day 2A, which is when Cloutier will play again, begins on Tuesday.

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