Police say a man staged his own kidnapping and robbery so he could avoid paying $50,000 in debt he racked up in the Super Bowl pool he organized. 

According to NYup.com, 60-year-old Robert Brandel was found by police tied in the backseat of his truck in a supermarket parking lot in Newfane, New York on Feb. 27. 

Brandel reportedly had a rope around his neck, with the other end looped around the headrest. His hands and feet were also bound with duct tape, according to the publication. 

Brandel told authorities that two men he picked up in his truck two days before showed a gun and stole $16,000 in cash he won from the Super Bowl pool. 

He said the men then made him drive around Western New York against his will for two days, then bound him and left him in the parking lot. 

Police soon afterward discovered Brandel wasn’t telling the truth. 

Brandel is charged with felony fraud and falsely reporting an incident. 

His next court appearance is sometime in March. 

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