Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Scammers Seeking Show Staff


Matt Sowash and Andrew "Doc" Hicks were arrested for securities fraud last month, but that hasn't stopped them from looking for staff for their latest startup, Poker Television Network. On August 3 they ran the following Craigslist ad:
The Poker Television Network is producing four brand new shows that will be filmed at Binion's. I have listed each show below along with the talent needed. If you know poker and want in on a ground floor opportunity with a new television network please reply ASAP. We have productions starting in one week from today. I will be conducting interviews this Thursday at noon at Binion's.

1. Wake up with Poker
Talent: Attractive male & female co hosts
Production: Camera People, Writer/News gatherer

2. Poker Talk Live
Talent: Band, co host, Future host
Production: Writer, Production Assistant, Camera People

3. Poker School
Talent: Attractive Female Host
Production: Writer, Production Crew

4. Strip Poker
Talent: Attractive Female Host
Production: Writer, Production Crew
Sowash (now going by the name Matt Bradford) and Hicks ran a free bar poker company called Amateur Poker Tour in Denver. It was funded by illegal securities sales, it failed, and it left behind a lot of angry investors. One of them even planned to kill Sowash with rattlesnakes.

I watched a few minutes of one of their shows, Four Of A Kind (below). You really must watch it: it's hilariously bad.


Note that they even inserted some well-known companies' ads into the show, apparently in the hope that potential investors would believe they sold the ads. Expect their programming to be picked up by major cable systems... never.

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3 comments:

Fifth Street Journal said...

Credit to Dan and Kevin at Pokerati for bringing this story to my attention.

Fifth Street Journal said...

Sowash was sentenced to five years in jail for securities fraud and misappropriating funds. Hicks still awaits trial. Someone who was in the courtroom also tells me that $460,000 in restitution is part of his punishment. See DenverPost.com for more details.

Fifth Street Journal said...

Sowash is reportedly facing further charges for absconding with investor funds for Poker Television Network.

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