Pro-poker player is charged with embezzling $22 million from his employer over four years to cover gambling losses racked up during his sudden rise to stardom Dennis Blieden, 29, of Nevada, was arrested Wednesday and charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and forfeiture, the U.S. Justice Department said Prosecutors say he stole $22 million from his former employer between 2015 and 2019 to purchase cryptocurrency to compete in online poker He also used the funds to payoff his competitors StyleHaul, the company Blieden worked for before being fired, is no longer in business and has sued him in state court
Blieden won the $1 million first-place prize at the World Poker Tour's L.A. Poker Classic tournament in March of 2018