A very weird and scary story that we covered during the European Poker Tour Barcelona has come to a sort of conclusion that seems to be sitting bad with a lot of different players and has almost no one happy. Jeans “Jean89” Kyllonen took to twoplustwo.com the other day to let everyone know that his case seems to have come to a conclusion, or at least a resting place for a long time to come, as he put it. The unfortunate thing in most people’s eyes is that nothing was really done and PokerStars has appeared uncaring and negligent to some.
Kyllonen posted a very long post that included both story and direct quotes and emails from PokerStars' employees that seem to imply that they were not exceptionally attentive in their dealings with him. These emails are not satisfactory to a lot of people because they seem to avoid the issue and are scant on details about what is actually happening. Further, they do not affirm with any kind of proof that something was actually sent to the proper authorities like Kyllonen had asked for. The reason for this insistence is because there have been two separate times now that he thought things got sent to the proper authorities but ultimately they were not. Also, despite Kyllonen wanting to pass along some information to help the investigation from F-Secure, a global technology security company, he was unable to do so. F-Secure had looked at his machine and managed to find the exact time that the USB stick was inserted to load the Trojan onto his laptop and could possibly help pinpoint where the criminals were by tracking the Trojan. Those two pieces of information could prove very useful in helping determine who could have broken into the hotel room and where they may be located.
As the conclusion was not satisfactory to most, the thread in which this was posted has taken off with a lot of different views and allegations, most not that flattering of PokerStars. The most common reactions seem to be that either PokerStars handled this situation exceptionally poorly and have erased some of the good will they have built up over the years, or that it was an inside job. The latter of those is a popular sentiment, but isn’t really steeped in much evidence. However, the damage of said words could still easily be done and shouldn’t be passed off as a simple overreaction. Many posters were also hoping for PokerStars to post in the thread with some answers and assurances that they have terminated their contract with The Arts Hotel in Barcelona. This has yet to happen even 36 hours after the initial post by Kyllonen. If PokerStars or a representative from the company does say something in the thread, this story will be updated to reflect that.
It bears repeating once more that if you are in a hotel, ensuring that all electronics are stored properly and out of sight is an absolute necessity. Also, if you notice any suspicious activity from your computer or other device, it is best to be safe rather than sorry and take it to a professional who can help solve the issue. Kyllonen is a good example of how to handle yourself, but much can be learned from his ordeal and PokerUpdate suggests that everyone study his case and the results to ensure that if they face a problem such as this in the future, they are properly prepared to deal with it and attempt to get a final resolution.
While this story may have come to a close, the resolution is less than satisfactory. Many players are calling for PokerStars to do more and to also announce that they will not return to The Arts Hotel. It is still unclear if they will take this step, but if they do not, there might be a lot of negative backlash from players who are scared for their safety.  Any further updates to this story will be posted as an addendum, so if you want to keep track of this story, make sure you keep it bookmarked here to get the latest updates and news!
Update 12/20/2013: The story appears to have finally come to a close with Lee Jones having made a post to explain some more and own up to some of the mistakes that were made during the investigation.  Lee Jones’ response covered a few of the biggest problems and issues that were raised in the thread, but didn’t really address if they were going to renew their contract with the hotel and what future considerations are going to be made.
The major thing that PokerStars wanted to address was that they do not believe that any of their employees are involved in the break-in, and they do not believe that any evidence suggests this.  With that being said, they do seem open if someone can prove something they need to look at, they just aren’t aware of it right now.  As far as liability is concerned, PokerStars cannot do that much according to Jones.  There is a lot of different European data laws that make it difficult for them to really disclose anything, and as a company policy they do not comment on efforts that are being made in certain investigations.  While this is not a satisfactory answer for some, it does seem to make sense and it accepts responsibility for mistakes that were made.
Jens Kyllonen also commented further in the thread and said that he is not going to pursue the investigation any further, because he does not have the energy to do so and is worried about repercussions from individuals who perpetrated the crime.  He cited knowing of people who have had family members threatened as his main fear behind continuing to pursue the case.  Many are not happy to see this resolution as posters in the thread want to see the criminals brought to justice.  It’s however very difficult to be angry with him, as he is worried for his and his families safety, and that’s noble and appropriate.
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