NY Man Faked His Own Abduction to Avoid Paying $50,000 Super Bowl Squares Prize

If you think Los Angeles Rams fans are the only ones suffering after Super Bowl LIII, think again.

On Thursday, the New York State Police released details of the story of 60-year-old Robert Brandel—a New York man who fabricated his abduction in order to avoid making a $50,000 payout for his Super Bowl squares pool.

Troopers in North Tonawanda found Brandel in his truck with a rope tied around his neck and duct tape binding his hands and ankles Wednesday afternoon:

"Brandel claimed on Monday, February 25, 2019, he picked up two males that were involved in his Super Bowl squares. Once they entered his vehicle one of the males brandished a pistol and took $16,000 cash he had from the Super Bowl squares. Brandel then claims they made him drive around Western New York at various places for two days against his will. Then they tied him up in the back seat of his vehicle and left him in the Tops parking lot Tuesday night."

The police opened a robbery and abduction case but concluded that Brandel was not telling the truth. They determined Brandel had run a Super Bowl squares pool and "made up names on some of the squares hoping to win and take most of the winnings." After the game, Brandel did not have the money to pay the winners.

He has been arrested and is facing charges for falsely reporting an incident (a misdemeanor) and felony scheme to defraud.