Poker Champ Who Alleged Kidnapping to Plead Guilty in Fraud Case
A Michigan poker player who claimed to have been kidnapped and was later accused of fraud has agreed to enter a guilty plea, according to court documents obtained by PokerNews.
George Janssen, a former used car dealership owner and four-time World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) ring winner, went missing for several weeks in late 2023 and claimed to have been regularly giving "large amounts of cash" to men who had extorted him for more than two years. In February, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alleged in a complaint that Janssen had knowingly executed a scheme to defraud nearly two dozen midwestern financial institutions.
After requesting an extension to indict Janssen, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged the poker player on July 17 with one count of financial institution fraud, a felony, alleging that he "knowingly executed a scheme or artifice to defraud and to obtain money, funds or other property owned by or under the control of COPOCO Credit Union, DORT Credit Union, and others financial institutions by means of material false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises" from June 2016 to October 2023.
Poker Champ to Enter Guilty Plea
Court filings show that Janssen consented to enter a guilty plea before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on July 18, a day after he was formally charged. Janssen's plea hearing was pushed back several times, most recently being canceled on Aug. 11, and is currently scheduled to take place on Aug. 19.
The consent to enter a guilty plea, signed by Janssen, states that "if the guilty plea is accepted by United States District Judge Thomas L. Ludington, then Judge Ludington will decide whether to accept or reject any Rule 11 Plea agreement and will adjudicate guilt and impose sentence."
Investigators allege that Janssen defrauded several credit unions by filing millions of dollars worth of fraudulent auto loans. The month before he went missing, Janssen allegedly lost his license to sell cars in Michigan for five years for falsifying business documents.
In November 2023, a COPOCO Credit Union executive contacted the FBI to report that Janssen had deposited a series of checks valued around $1.4 million to his business Bay Auto Brokers that were returned with insufficient funds. In the meantime, the credit union had issued Janssen with $1.3 million in valid checks that were deposited in the Bay Auto Brokers account.
Investigators say multiple friends of Janssen approached law enforcement "to clear their name and express concern they had been defrauded by Janssen, who convinced them to take out multiple vehicle loans."
Janssen's kidnapping claims, which are documented in Michigan police reports and mentioned in the FBI complaint, included dramatic details and have attracted international media attention.
Janssen is a longtime poker player with $453,542 in The Hendon Mob earnings. He is a four-time WSOP Circuit ring winner and Major Series of Poker: The Tour (MSPT) champion, having won the MSPT Venetian Main Event for $82,823 in September 2023.
Janssen's attorney, Keith E. Corbett of Corbett & Kozar, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In this Series
- 1 MSPT & WSOP Champion Found Zip-Tied, Allegedly Held Captive For 35 Days
- 2 Michigan Poker Player Says He's the Victim of $2M Extortion Scheme
- 3 Poker Player Who Alleged Kidnapping Now Facing FBI Fraud Investigation
- 4 DOJ Requests More Time to Indict Michigan Poker Player in FBI Fraud Case
- 5 Poker Champ Who Alleged Kidnapping to Plead Guilty in Fraud Case
- 6 Poker Pro Awaiting Sentencing for Bank Fraud Wins Tournament in Michigan
