Poker champion arrested in NC prostitution sting

WAKE FOREST, N.C. — A former World Series of Poker champion is among six people facing charges after police in Wake Forest conducted an undercover prostitution sting.

Police say Gregory Paul Raymer, a professional poker player known by the nickname “Fossilman,” was arrested at a local hotel. Through his attorney, Raymer apologized for what he termed “a lapse in judgment.”

Raymer won the World Series of Poker in 2004 and cleared about $1.7 million after taxes. He then quit his job and moved to an upscale Raleigh neighborhood.

Another man caught in Wednesday’s sting was Durham attorney Christopher Burrell Shella. He gained attention last year when he withdrew from a murder case involving the accuser in the 2006 Duke lacrosse scandal. A message left at Shella’s office seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned Saturday.