Posted on by Ricky Davies

Kidnapping, Crypto Ransoms, and Murder: The Unbelievable True Story of “5Dimes Tony”

Dig around the history of most poker networks long enough and you’ll find an interesting backstory. ACR Poker’s Chris Moneymaker kick-started the poker boom with his rags-to-riches WSOP win. Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer were pretty much exiled from poker for their role in withholding player funds at Full Tilt Poker.

But no story compares to that of the Grand Poker Network and William “5Dimes Tony” Creighton.

The Birth of 5Dimes

Creighton’s tale can be traced back to West Virginia in 1998. Fresh out of university with a degree in business administration, he became a successful sports bettor and racked up big wins at a site owned by a US bookmaker named Al Ross.

Rather than pay out, Ross offered Creighton a sportsbook of his own. He accepted, and then it was off to Costa Rica, away from the reach of US legislation which prevented online sports betting at the time.

It was there that he and a handful of pals would begin the 5Dimes gambling site. By 2000, the site was up and running – and business was good. Creighton never lost his zest for gambling, taking on huge bets from punters and often replicating these at other bookies for even more money.

It worked. Creighton was single-handedly putting other sportsbooks out of business. Some of these were neighbors in his office block, and so he’d absorb their properties and expand, like a game of Monopoly where the dice never stopped rolling.

Rumor had it Creighton was bagging a million bucks a day. It wasn’t just sports betting, either – by now, he’d opened his own poker room, operating via the Grand Poker Network. If you were playing online at that time, chances are you’ve come across one of his poker rooms, some of which were viewed among the best offshore poker sites.

US Government Case

So far, Creighton had done a great job of keeping his identity secret. The moniker ‘5Dimes Tony’ helped him conceal his real name. He was well-known in the industry, but dressed modestly and was enjoying the family life. He’d married Laura Varela Fallas, a local, and they’d had two children together.

But all that cash changing hands began to attract unwanted attention. In 2016, a money-laundering investigation was launched by the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Department of Homeland Security.

In a scheme which could’ve been ripped straight from an episode of The Sopranos, the investigation claimed that 5Dimes was encouraging players based in the US to use Amazon gift cards to place bets and bypass local laws. Winners had mink coats and jewelry sent to them instead of cash. The charges never stuck, but the US government was now officially on his case.

Things went from bad to much worse around 10pm on 24th September, 2018 – the night 5Dimes Tony was kidnapped.

Night of the Kidnapping

It was a rainy Monday evening as Creighton left his office in San Pedro and started his usual journey home. The 43-year-old father of two hopped into his Porsche Cayenne and began making his way through the Costa Rican district of San Francisco when he was pulled over by a couple of cops.

But this was no ordinary vehicle stop. It was a setup.

Map of San Francisco, San Isidro, Heredia
Map of the area in San Francisco where Creighton is believed to have been stopped by police.
Image: Google Maps

Moments later, a gray pickup truck screeched to a halt next to them. Four men jumped out, forcing Creighton into the truck. One took off in Creighton’s Porsche, crashing it to stage an accident, while the rest made their getaway.

Creighton emerged six miles away in a place called La Trinidad de Morovia, with a phone being shoved into his face. On the other end of the line was his tearful wife, Laura Varela. And now, having heard his voice, she knew that the kidnappers weren’t bluffing.

She could have him back in one piece, but it would cost her. The demand? $5 million. Immediately.

Investigation Begins

Unable to secure the full amount on such short notice, they settled on $1 million in bitcoin (worth around $10 million at the time of writing). She sent it over right away, hung up, and called two former FBI agents as well as the Costa Rican Judiciary Investigative Police (OIJ) .

Between them, they tracked both the crashed Porsche and the receiving wallets of the BTC transaction. They belonged to a 25-year-old computer engineer named Jorduan Morales Vega, but there was no sign of him. Although they didn’t know it then, he was on his way to Cuba, where he’d withdraw the BTC ransom.

Sadly, there was no sign of Creighton, either. A report in the 20th October, 2018 edition of the local Costa Rica Star claimed he’d been found dead, but rumors swirled that he’d escaped the country using a fake passport. Maybe people just didn’t want to believe it.

Three months later, in January 2019, authorities had located Morales Vega and pounced. Their raids were successful, and 12 arrests were made, including Morales Vega, several of his family members, and the two crooked cops who’d pulled Creighton over.

But they couldn’t find Creighton’s body. And, with the defendants continuing to claim it was all a hoax, the early sentences were lenient. The kidnappers received six months. The police were somehow let off on probation.

New Evidence Emerges

Then a video surfaced. Another tabloid, the Diario Extra, claimed the video showed Creighton being tortured by the kidnappers and ultimately buried on their farm. Months later, the site was located: a cemetery in the small fishing village of Quepos, Puntarenas. Dental records were tested, and the bad news was confirmed. The body was that of William Creighton.

With Creighton now officially declared deceased, longer prison terms could be authorized. Kenny Ford Dowman, one of the accused, received a 33-year sentence in February 2022.

There was also the matter of the 5Dimes business. Creighton’s widow, Laura Varela, assumed control of the company. Unlike her late husband, she quickly made a truce with the US government, agreeing to pay out $46.8 million to settle the money-laundering investigation.

In true 5Dimes style, the payment wasn’t in straight cash, but flashy assets, too. This included gold coins, cryptocurrency, and even a $400,000 George Mikan rookie baseball card. Following its donation, you can now see that little piece of 5Dimes history in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

The settlement ensured Laura Varela was absolved of any criminal conduct, and was free to continue running the company. It was subsequently renamed from 5Dimes to 5D Americas LLC. Sacrifices were made, including the permanent closure of 5Dimes in Europe in May 2023, but the company is still alive and fully legit. She’s not exactly going to be nominated for the Women in Poker Hall of Fame, but she certainly made a lasting impact to poker players affiliated with the site.

Despite its tragic ending, the story of William Creighton, 5Dimes and the Grand Poker Network is pure Hollywood. To this day, there are still circles who insist Creighton faked his own death and made away with a fortune.

If this were a Hollywood script, perhaps that would make the perfect ending.

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