Greater than a 12 months after being discovered zip-tied and bloodied on a rural Michigan street and alleging he was the sufferer of a $2 million extortion scheme, poker participant George Janssen is now being accused of fraud by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Janssen, four-time World Collection of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) ring winner and Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) Most important Occasion champion, was reported lacking in November 2023. After being discovered on the aspect of the street a month later, he advised police he had been held captive in a basement for 35 days and had been usually giving “giant quantities of money” to males who had extorted him for greater than two years.
The incident reads just like the plot of Fargo — which sees William H. Macy’s character organize his spouse’s kidnapping to keep away from automotive dealership money owed — proper as much as Janssen operating a Midwestern used automotive dealership. After the criticism unsealed on Wednesday, it reads much more just like the 1996 thriller.
The criticism filed in US District Court docket and reviewed by PokerNews, alleges that Janssen “knowingly executed a scheme or artifact (sic) to defraud to acquire cash, funds or different property” owned by practically two dozen monetary establishments.
Michigan Poker Participant Says He is the Sufferer of $2M Extortion Scheme
$3.9 Million in Fraudulent Automobile Loans
The criticism describes the 42-year-old as on the verge of economic desperation when he went lacking in late 2023.
In August 2023, the Michigan Division of State Workplace of Investigative Companies audited Bay Auto Brokers and decided Janssen “had used the identical fictitious automobiles in a number of mortgage functions.” The criticism says it “was not the primary time they discovered Janssen falsifying enterprise paperwork” and he misplaced his license to promote vehicles in Michigan for a five-year interval.
In November 2023, simply days earlier than Janssen went lacking, a COPOCO Credit score Union government contacted the FBI to report that Janssen had deposited a sequence of checks valued round $1.4 million to his enterprise Bay Auto Brokers that have been returned with inadequate funds. Within the meantime, the credit score union had issued Janssen with $1.3 million in legitimate checks that have been deposited within the Bay Auto Brokers account.
The criticism references Janssen’s kidnapping allegations, noting that he advised household and mates “he had been extorted by a Hispanic gang or cartel for the earlier two years.”
In the course of the 33 days he was lacking, the FBI and different companies have been notified of “a number of loans which had gone unpaid” taken out by shut associates of Janssen and apparently at his course.
Collectively, the group obtained greater than $3.93 million from varied banks and credit score unions. The group’s excellent stability is greater than $1.94 million, in response to the criticism, although it’s nearer to $3.3 million when together with the $1.3 million faraway from COPOCO Credit score Union.
In accordance with the criticism, a number of mates of Janssen approached regulation enforcement “to clear their title and specific concern they’d been defrauded by Janssen, who satisfied them to take out a number of automobile loans.”
Poker Participant’s Son Talked about in Criticism
George’s son, Connor Janssen, is talked about within the criticism and mentioned to have been a salesman at Bay Auto who was additionally liable for depositing checks into the enterprise accounts.
The criticism alleges that Connor “knew his father was taking false loans and shifting cash with checks from financial institution to financial institution” and took out loans on his father’s behalf.
“Connor advised Brokers he thought the automobiles have been actual when he took out the loans, however remarked he by no means noticed the automobiles, nor any paperwork,” the criticism states. “Connor additionally advised Brokers he thought his father was making the mortgage paperwork in Microsoft Phrase.”
PokerNews spoke with Connor Janssen on the cellphone in February 2024. He advised PokerNews he did not have any details about his father’s alleged kidnapping or any pending investigations.
Janssen’s kidnapping account, which was documented in Michigan police experiences, contained cryptic particulars, together with a member of the family saying they obtained a handwritten letter from Janssen spelling out “Kidnap.”
In January 2024, detectives famous they’d discovered that Janssen was “a pair million {dollars} value of debt to his financial institution.”
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Workplace closed its lacking individuals investigation when Janssen was present in December 2023 and forwarded the case to the FBI. On the time, the FBI wouldn’t affirm or deny an investigation to PokerNews.
No prices are presently filed in opposition to Janssen.
Connor Richards
Editor & Dwell Reporter U.S.
