No one was injured in a fire on Center Street in Clifton April 5, 2018.
Joshua Jongsma/NorthJersey.com
Michael H. Borovetz of Pittsburgh.(Photo: Port Authority Police Department)
A former professional poker player attempted to scam people at Newark Liberty International Airport, but police called his bluff and arrested him.
Michael H. Borovetz, 43, of Pittsburgh, who competed in World Series of Poker events from 2012 to 2014 and won more than $50,000, according to his bio on the competition’s website, was arrested and charged Thursday night, said police.
Borovetz told a Princeton man at the airport his flight was canceled and needed $200 for a hotel room, according to Port Authority spokesman Joseph Pentangelo on Friday. The victim gave Borovetz the money he retrieved from a nearby ATM after he was told he’d be paid back, Pentangelo stated.
The victim became suspicious, though, and alerted Port Authority police. Detectives found Borovetz at a nearby Marriott Hotel and arrested him, according to Pentangelo. He was charged with theft and scheduled to appear in court April 17.
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It was not Borovetz’s first scam at Newark Airport, Pentangelo stated. In June 2017, he scammed a San Jose man in similar fashion, according to Pentangelo.
Borovetz used to work as a chemical engineer, according to his World Series of Poker page.
Port Authority Police Sgt. Thomas Eddings and detectives Ilona Brodetsky and Nicole Manzella investigated.
Email: jongsma@northjersey.com
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