State police arrested 60-year-old Robert Brandel, Wednesday, after they say he faked his own abduction to avoid payment on Super Bowl squares.
Police say they found Brandel in the Tops parking lot, on Lockport-Olcott Road on Wednesday. He was found tied up in a blue Ford F-150. He was in the back seat with a rope tied around his neck. It was attached to the headrest. His hands and ankles were taped together with duct tape.
Brandel told police, he picked up two men on Monday, who were involved in his Super Bowl squares pool. When they got into his truck, one man showed him a gun and took $16,000 he had from the pool. He said the men made him drive around for two days against his will, tied him up and left him in the back seat of his truck in the Tops lot.
Turns out, police say this story was made up because Brandel was running a $50,000 payout for the squares and made up names on some of the squares. He was hoping to take most of the money.
Police say he was short for most of the $50,000.
Brandel was given a ticket to return to court in March.
