Poker Pro Who Claimed to Have Been Kidnapped Sentenced to Prison
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Michigan poker player George Janssen was sentenced on Friday to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to bank fraud, PokerNews has learned from the United States Attorney’s Office.
Janssen, a four-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner, MSPT champion and former car dealer, pleaded guilty in August 2025 after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged him with one count of financial institution fraud over an auto loan scheme where he defrauded several credit unions out of nearly $4 million.
On Friday, Judge David M. Lawson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan sentenced Janssen to 36 months in prison and an additional three years of supervised release, a US Attorney's Office spokesperson told PokerNews on Friday afternoon. He was further ordered to pay $908,235 in restitution to multiple victims.
Sentencing Follows Kidnapping Story, FBI Investigation
Janssen's sentencing marks the conclusion of a story that gained international attention and began with the poker player being found bloodied and zip-tied on the side of a rural Michigan road in December 2023.
Janssen, who has $505,291 in Hendon Mob earnings, claimed to have been kidnapped in November 2023 and held ransom in a basement by gang members as part of an extortion scheme. He alleged he was initially approached by the gang members while he was leaving a poker tournament in Detroit, according to police records obtained by PokerNews.
The initial investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office into the Fargo-like tale also produced what was supposedly a coded ransom letter spelling out the word "kidnap" and photos of Janssen's vehicle left abandoned and cryptically scattered with $50 bills.
Apparently, it was all an elaborate story Janssen made up to evade his money troubles, though he was never charged with falsely reporting a crime and the FBI and DOJ have not explicitly made such an accusation.
The FBI filed a criminal complaint against Janssen in February 2025, alleging that he "knowingly executed a scheme or artifact (sic) to defraud to obtain money, funds or other property" owned by nearly two dozen financial institutions."
According to the complaint, Janssen, a used car dealer, along with associates, none of whom faced criminal charges, had cashed more than $3.93 million in fraudulent auto loan checks from various banks and credit unions.
In the weeks before he went missing, prosecutors say Janssen lost his license to sell cars in Michigan for a five-year period and allegedly deposited $1.4 million in bad checks.
While he was missing, the FBI and other agencies were notified of "several loans which had gone unpaid" taken out by close associates of Janssen. The FBI said 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."
The DOJ formally charged Janssen with one count of financial institution fraud, a felony, in July, and he pleaded guilty a month later.
Janssen's attorney Keith E. Corbett said in an April court filing that the fraudulent auto loan scheme could be traced back to financial hardship that Janssen's car dealership experienced during the Coronavirus pandemic.
"As the economy slowed down George was faced with significant challenges in his business," Corbett wrote. "These problems cause(d) him to engage in the activities that resulted in the charges in this case. It was always George's intention to pay the money back and ensure no one suffered financial harm."
Paying for His Crime by Playing Poker
Poker tournaments have been Janssen's primary source of income since his 2025 arrest, according to court documents.
"He has been quite open with the probation department about his efforts to earn an income from playing poker," his attorney wrote. "He has provided records which make it clear that he can earn a living playing poker."
Ahead of sentencing, Janssen asked the court for a lighter sentence of 24 months, half the minimum sentencing guidline of 51 months, so he could spent time with his family and make headway on his nearly seven-figure restitution by playing poker.
"It is Mr. Janssen's intention to pay restitution to all affected parties with the proceeds of his poker winnings," his attorney, Keith E. Corbett of Barone Defense Firm, said in a recent court filing.
"After his release from federal custody, he will be able to pursue playing a larger venue which will allow him to earn more money than he can at local venues ... Spending four years in prison will help nobody."
Just weeks after pleading guilty, took down an event at Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek in Michigan for $18,556.
This year, he has won a $200 buy-in bounty tournament at Michigan's Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort for $2,553 and finished third in a $300 buy-in event at the same venue for $4,323.
