Dwyte Pilgrim, one-time WPT champion, has been forced to deny accusations that he is a scammer, having admitted to owing thousands of dollars to his former friend Aaron Massey.
Massey went public in an interview with PokerNews this week, accusing Pilgrim of borrowing money from him, as well as others, with no intention of paying it back, and of issuing threats when challenged.
According to Massey’s version of what happened, Pilgrim approached him in January of 2013 at the former’s Borgata hotel room and told him a sob story about his bank accounts being frozen, asking to borrow $7,500.
“I had just won a prelim a few days prior, and Dwyte knew I had money in the safe in my room,” said Massey. “I was weary, and I said to him, verbatim, ‘If this story isn’t true, and I lend you money based on a lie, and I don’t get paid back then it is the same as stealing.’”
“Threats Made”
Since that day, Massey says he has attempted to arrange numerous repayment plans, even offering a rate of as little as $1 per day by his account, but says he has been continually rebuffed or has been told that money is on its way, only for it never to arrive.
And then things apparently got ugly.
“He basically told me that if I kept talking to him that way that my life may be in jeopardy. He was even brazen enough to text me threats as well,” said Massey in his interview.”As you can see, Dwyte will take advantage of anyone. The haves, the have not’s, the flush, the bust, it just doesn’t matter to him.
“He’s a preservationist, a parasite, willing to survive by any means necessary. His prey is any human being with money. Anyone he can take advantage of. He is a self-serving con artist,”Massey added.
Hastings Also Reportedly Owed
Pilgrim told PokerNews that the alleged threats were a misunderstanding. “After I owed Aaron for a while he would call and his text would get aggressive,” he said, “He called me on a rough night and I quoted a rap song, which he took as a threat. I instantly replied and apologized.”
The New Yorker also owes money to others, according to Massey, including Brian Hastings, who confirmed to PokerNews this was the case.
Pilgrim insists that he has been unable to pay the money due to an unspecified “life-changing” incident and a “financial bind” that took him out of the game.
No doubt this soap opera will have a few more episodes yet to come.
