A man has been accused of faking his own kidnapping to get out of paying almost $50,000 (£38,000) owed from a failed Super Bowl betting scheme.
Police in New York state arrested Robert Brandel, 60, on fraud and false reporting charges after they found evidence he had staged his abduction.
State troopers first found him tied up in the back of a vehicle in the town of Newfane earlier this week.
The 60-year-old was discovered in the back seat of a blue Ford truck with a rope tied around his neck attached to the head rest, while his hands and ankles bound with duct tape.
Mr Brandel claimed one of two men he picked up in his truck threatened him with a gun and took $16,000 (£12,000) he had made from “Super Bowl Squares” – an online gambling pool that sees participants enter scores into a grid.
The 60-year-old gambler claimed the two men then made him drive around western New York state for two days against his will before tying him up and leaving him in a parking lot.
But state police said: “Further investigation and interviews revealed this elaborate story was fabricated.”
Officials now believe Mr Brandel ran a $50,000 (£38,000) pay-out Super Bowl pool in which he made up names on some squares in an attempt to take most of the winnings.
Having failed to succeed in the scheme and unable to make the pay outs, he was short for most of the $50,000 (£38,000) owed to others, said state police.
State trooper James O’Callaghan told the WKBW news channel that he "came up with a couple different ways where he could make money off of it and eventually fell flat."
He added: "Now he can’t make the money up to the people who obviously or eventually won this football pool”.
Police said suspicions were initially raised by the fact Mr Brandel was calm and “pretty clean shaved” around his beard despite his claims to have been kidnapped and on the road for three days
“A normal person that’s been abducted and has gone through something like that, their heart rate would be very high, they’re worried, depressed, a lot of emotions that will be bubbling up,” Mr O’Callaghan added.
Mr Brandel is due to appear in Newfane Town Court later this month.
This year’s Super Bowl was won last month by the New England Patriots, who beat the Los Angeles Rams.
