Poker Pro Craig Bergeron Recharged in Detroit Murder Case

The case of poker pro Craig Bergeron has taken a number of twists over the past days, keeping both the legal system and the poker world on the edge of their seats. The 36-year-old Michigan native is facing first-degree murder charges after authorities allege he randomly shot and killed 37-year-old Tommy “Mike” Ireland on the east side of Detroit last December, just a few days before Christmas.

The Key Witness Issue

For a brief moment, it looked as if Bergeron might walk free. On September 11, Judge Shawn Jacque dismissed the case and dropped all charges when prosecutors admitted they could not track down their key witness. 

However, in a dramatic turn, a police officer located the witness the very next day, leading to Bergeron being recharged on September 15. Since then, he has remained behind bars at Wayne County Jail without bond.

The state of Michigan tackles convictions for first-degree murder with a mandatory life sentence with no parole. 

“Senseless Crime”

According to Mike’s sister, Ashley, the family had no ties with Saline-based Bergeron. 

“It’s chaos out here. It’s chaos. Nobody should go through burying anybody, especially off of senseless crime — senseless”, said the victim’s cousin, Richard Castro, in an interview for 7 News Detroit. “It’s senseless, man. When I say Tommy was a good man, he was a good man, bro. He wasn’t one of them. He was one of the other ones.”

Prosecutors say that in the hours leading up to the shooting, Bergeron posted a series of paranoid videos on social media. After allegedly shooting Ireland, police claim he fled in an SUV and later assaulted another person before being taken into custody. 

While receiving several mental health evaluations since he was put under arrest, authorities have yet to reveal the results.

Bergeron has yet to enter a plea, and no trial date has been scheduled. According to Poker News, a probable cause conference between the prosecutor, the defendant, and their attorney has been set up for September 25. During it, the parties will attempt to reach potential plea agreements and bail matters. 

A preliminary exam has also been tentatively scheduled for October 2.

The Fall of a Rising Star

The disturbing incident took the poker world by storm, given Bergeron’s potential as a rising star, and fellow players described him as a generous and caring person before deciding to step down from pro games a few years ago.

Over his career, Bergeron scooped up more than $1.3 million in live tournament winnings, with highlights including his breakout performance at the 2010 PokerStars European Poker Tour Deauville Main Event, where he finished in fourth place for $312,853, his largest recorded cash yet.

The poker pro, who used the pseudonym “HU4ROLLZ” when playing online, also has one World Series of Poker final table appearance, as well as a World Series of Poker Circuit ring. In a strangely similar story, Florida prosecutors confirmed the key witness in the murder case of a former University of Miami football player was also alive, despite officials initially stating the 81-year-old witness was dead.