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American bookie William Sean ‘5Dimes Tony’ Creighton has been found dead in Costa Rica nearly a year after he was kidnapped. He was 43.
Creighton’s remains were discovered in a cemetery, buried in an unmarked grave in Quepos, The Costa Rica Star reported.
His cause of death is not known at this time.
The U.S. State Department confirmed Creighton’s death in a statement to ESPN and casino.org saying, “We can confirm Costa Rican authorities identified the remains of a U.S. citizen in Costa Rica.”
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death. We stand ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”
Creighton, who founded 5Dimes a casino that offers players a “unique online gaming experience with sport betting,” in 1999 is believed to have been abducted on Sept. 24, 2018, according to ABC News and The Costa Rica Star.
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5Dimes did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
At around 10 p.m. on the day of Creighton’s disappearance, he left work without a bodyguard and got into his Porsche Cayenne Turbo to drive home, according to the outlets.
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While driving through the neighborhood of Granadilla de Curridabat, two men wearing Costa Rican traffic officer uniforms pulled him over, ESPN reported.
As they approached his vehicle, four men in a gray pickup truck then arrived on the scene and abducted Creighton, according to police, ESPN Reported.
The next morning, Creighton’s family received an alarming call, demanding a $5 million ransom, according to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ), ESPN reported.
OIJ revealed a $1 million ransom was paid, however, it was too late as Creighton never made it back to his family, ESPN reported.
The cemetery is located three hours away from where he was abducted, The Costa Rica Star reported.
In January, authorities arrested 12 people believed to have been involved in Creighton’s disappearance, OIJ revealed in a statement obtained by ESPN.
A man named Jordan Morales has been named as the mastermind behind the abduction as well as Morales’ mother Guiselle Vega Aguirre and her friend Maria Fernanda Solis Chaves.
The three suspects were extradited from Spain to Costa Rica in April and are currently awaiting trial, according to OIJ, ESPN reported.
It is not immediately clear if the suspects will face additional charges following news of Creighton’s death.
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