Poker Pro Faces Sentencing for Threatening Judge and Tournament Executive

A big name in poker circles finds himself in hot water in Las Vegas. He stands accused of making online threats against a judge and a top official of the World Poker Tour.

Poker Champion Jordan Cristos Jailed After Admitting to Cyberstalking Judge

Jordan Cristos, a 38-year-old poker pro who has won over $3 million in his career, has sat in the Clark County Detention Center since cops nabbed him in June. Court papers show Cristos admitted guilt last month to a felony charge of trying to stalk someone through electronic means. This charge stems from a bunch of messages aimed at Family Court Judge Regina McConnell, who was handling a child custody case that involved Cristosb, reported The Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Prosecutors claim Cristos emailed and posted online, demanding that the judge rule for him. Court papers say he threatened to file a lawsuit to remove her from the case and thought about posting her home address on a website linked to that lawsuit. He sent an email warning that she would face serious legal issues if she did not grant his custody request before July 4.

Court files also show Cristos made a troubling post on a church’s social media page connected to McConnell. In this post, he used harsh words and mentioned the judge’s daughter.

Jordan Cristos Under Investigation for Alleged Harassment of Poker Tour Executives

Cristos’ legal troubles go beyond the custody battle. He is under a separate probe for messages he sent to World Poker Tour CEO Adam Pliska and other employees. Officials claim Cristos insisted on getting his online poker account back, threatening to post bad content if his demands were not met. In one message, he said that closing his account would “put all of your staff in the crosshairs.” In another, he hinted that turning down his offer would mean encountering “the legend and the stalker in more than one way.”

When investigators talked to Cristos in July, he owned up to sending the messages and said he was sorry for how he acted.

As part of the September plea agreement, Cristos got probation, with the first 180 days in jail. This sentence runs at the same time as a suspended term for breaking a protection order against an ex-girlfriend. If he sticks to the deal, the court might later downgrade the felony to a misdemeanor.

Cristos will show up in court for sentencing on October 27. A public lawyer handles his defense, and no one has given an official statement for him yet. The Hendon Mob, a poker tracking website, shows Cristos has won about $3.7 million in tournaments. He last played in events in California and online earlier this year.