Poker competitor confronts potential 30-year imprisonment and $1 million financial penalty due to $3.9 million swindle following staged abduction incident.
Poker Iceman Under FBI Scrutiny
You wouldn't believe the drama that unfolded in the poker world when George Janssen, a four-time WSOPC ring winner, announced last year he was a victim of a bizarre $2m kidnap-cum-extortion scheme. However, it seems the FBI is less than convinced with his tale, charging the 42-year-old with bank fraud.
Janssen claimed he was held for 33 days against his will, and the Mexican cartel demanded a whopping $2m in exchange for his freedom. He appeared haggard and tied on the side of a road in his small home town, Ohio.
What's intriguing is that just two weeks prior, Janssen had lost his dealership sales license due to submitting falsified business documents.
Police swooped in on Janssen on a Wednesday and the complaint outlines how he withdrew nearly $75,000 in cash before disappearing and penned checks to himself from his dealerships for about $44,000. Up to $3.9m in bank loans taken out by Janssen's associates were uncovered, with $3.3m outstanding. Several individuals approached the FBI, alleging that Janssen had swindled them.
His son, a fellow employee at the dealership, is working with the law enforcement and revealed that his father was squeezing Peter to pay Paul. Facing up to three decades in prison and a possible $1m fine for the bank fraud charge, it seems Janssen isn't dealing with a royal flush anymore.
As for the background, it's known that the DOJ requested additional time to indict Janssen in connection with an ongoing FBI fraud investigation in April 2025[2]. This implies that Janssen is embroiled in a serious federal fraud case under investigation, but the exact nature of the charges and related criminal activities have not been made public.
So keep an eye on this case as it unfolds. Stay tuned for more poker night soap operas!
[2] U.S. Department of Justice press release, April 2025. Retrieved from: www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/george-janssen-four-time-wsopc-ring-winner-facing-bank-fraud-charge-request-more
- Despite Janssen's claims of being a victim of extortion, the FBI is investigating him for bank fraud, a charge that could send him to prison for three decades.
- Janssen, a poker pro, lost his dealership sales license due to submitting falsified business documents, and there are allegations that he swindled several individuals out of money.
- Janssen's son, a fellow employee at the dealership, is cooperating with law enforcement and has reported that Janssen was embezzling funds.
- In 2023, the police arrested Janssen after he withdrew nearly $75,000 in cash and wrote checks to himself for $44,000 from his dealerships.
- It appears that Janssen's criminal activities are not limited to his dealerships, as the DOJ requested more time to indict him in connection with an ongoing FBI fraud investigation in 2025, perhaps implying involvement in casino-games, casino-and-gambling, crime-and-justice, and general-news.
