Fossilman Off The Hook After Prostitute Sting
October 21, 2013 2:44 pmBack in March, news broke that 2004 WSOP Champion Greg “Fossilman” Raymer had been arrested following an undercover prostitution sting by North Carolina police. At the time, the 48-year-old family man had apparently been preparing to commit an “abominable and detestable” sexual crime against nature, which in the Bible Belt state covers a range of sexual practices, including anal sex and oral sex.
At the time of his arrest, Greg Raymer’s lawyer, Wade M. Smith, released a statement, exclaiming: “Mr. Raymer is very sorry for this lapse in judgment. He regrets deeply the pain he has caused his family, friends and fans. Mr. Raymer is grateful for the many expressions of support he has received.”
Half a year on, and the patent attorney turned poker pro can now put the experience behind him as both charges have been dropped after Raymer completed 75 hours of community service at a local non-profit. In addition, “Fossilman” successfully passed a mental health assessment, presumably meaning he was able to convince the panel he no longer desired to commit an “abominable and detestable” sexual act with a hooker.
Good news all round, then, especially for the North Carolina pro who was on one of the heaters of his poker career prior to being busted then shoved into the back of a police car. Between the end of July and mid-November, 2012, Raymer had won an unprecedented four Heartland Poker Tour events for a total payout of $371,967. Since the incident, however, Raymer has won just $31,864, although he will surely be able to better focus on his game with any further legal proceedings now having been dismissed.
Since cashing in at his first tournament in 1996, Raymer has amassed $7,422,988 in live earnings, $5 million of which has come from his 2004 WSOP $10k World Championship victory.