back to article Four women, including TV star, thought they were investing in a software business. It was a scam. Now the perp's going to jail

A man who conned four women out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by falsely claiming they were investing in a software biz was this week sentenced to eight years behind bars. Between May 2015 and October 2018, Antonio Mariot Wilson, 58, first dated the women – one of whom was an actor in hit TV series Black-ish – and then …

  1. The Man Who Fell To Earth Silver badge
    FAIL

    Idiots

    Super successful software entrepreneurs don't end up managing gyms in LA.

    1. Persona Silver badge

      Re: Idiots

      Perhaps, but that's still one up on John McAfee who is currently incarcerated in Spain, pending extradition to the United States.

      1. UCAP Silver badge

        Re: Idiots

        Just about anything and anyone is one up on John McAfee.

        1. Kane

          Re: Idiots

          "Just about anything and anyone is one up on John McAfee."

          Ahem, I present evidence to the contrary, one Martin Shkreli.

          1. Toni the terrible Bronze badge

            Re: Idiots

            the most sucessful scammers are those that run countries or churches or even invent their own religions

  2. Claverhouse Silver badge
    Meh

    Whilst sympathetic to the sort of morons easily parted from money to a fast-talking crook, I imagine it's easier to become a crook if one has lived in a car for 4 years alongst with one's family.

    And 'Charity' in America seems mostly funnelled to those who don't need it, like Universities with multi-billion-dollar Endowments.

    He is in good company.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      A different interpretation of the article

      He scammed his own family by only providing minimal clothing, food, a car for shelter and lectures on morality if they complained while he lived large on the proceeds of his scams.

      1. keithpeter Silver badge
        Childcatcher

        Re: A different interpretation of the article

        I thought the sleeping in the car period was in the past and the family were now living in the apartment rented by the con man?

        UK: safeguarding, if you give a car as your home address to your children's school the social services people will be paying a visit.

        1. Mike 16

          Re: A different interpretation of the article

          ----

          now living in the apartment rented by the con man?

          ----

          And here I thought they were living in Second Life. HE might try paying in Linden Dollars.

    2. Ace2 Silver badge

      Give your money to a community college - they’ll actually use it

    3. Cliffwilliams44 Silver badge

      Ah yes, the snooty Euros who think they know so much about the US.

      Fact: Us citizens give more money to charities by a factor of 2. That means twice as much!

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_charitable_donation

      Fact: No one in America has to live in a car or go hungry. You need only show up at Social Services and apply for help. If you don't have a home they will help you get one.

      Fact: Poor people in America do not starve! In fact they eat better than most working people due to food stamp (EBT). In America we have FAT poor people.

      Fact: No matter what you see from the "children are going hungry, send us money" folks there is no reason in this country for any child to go hungry. If they are, it is not the fault of America it is the fault of their parents!

      1. julian.smith
        FAIL

        Not a Euro but laughing from afar

        How are things over there in the:

        - racist sewer

        or is it:

        - a racist swamp

        How's that covid thing working out in the Land of the Free?

        Dumb as a sack of rocks!

  3. erikscott

    Odd custody arrangement

    It's unusual to give someone 48 hours after conviction to report to prison. Usually it happens on the spot. It's almost as though the judge _wants_ this guy to run. Which was completely unnecessary, because the judge could just delay sentencing for a decade and then dismiss the case if there are no more offenses.

    1. David Hicklin Bronze badge

      Re: Odd custody arrangement

      From the way this was reported it sounds like there was no actual court room in session and that he submitted all his pleas via PDF - I guess it is a covid thing

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    that helped applicants for government benefits

    this sounds rather familiar... He didn't wear a Boris Johnson mask, did he?

    1. Chris G

      Re: that helped applicants for government benefits

      I think the applicants you are referring to, have the appellation Chum applied to them, not so much victims as part of the scam.

    2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: that helped applicants for government benefits

      He made the mistake of only ripping off investors for a few $100K, if he had ripped of the govt for a few $Bn he would have got a follow up contract..

      The odd thing is why he decided to steal the money, all he had to do was hire a couple of incompetent offshore programmers to fail to build a website, while paying himself and family members a large salary as consultants and claiming a few foreign trips as expenses. Then the company goes bust = all perfectly legal

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Then the company goes bust = all perfectly legal

        ah, but he would've had to go to British public schools to master his business skills! ;)

        1. keith_w

          Re: Then the company goes bust = all perfectly legal

          Oxford doesn't count?

  5. Blackjack Silver badge

    Evidently

    Not everyone can just make a startup, load it with debt and the walk away yo the sunset after selling it.

    1. Toni the terrible Bronze badge

      Re: Evidently

      many do though, and after rinsing the money they repeat ad infinitum

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Winkypop Silver badge
    Pirate

    In the Navy!

    You only ever hear of Navy Seals.

    Always the Seals.

    You don’t hear much of the brave lads and lasses from the catering corps....

    1. Bitbeisser

      Re: In the Navy!

      Would that be the ones referred to as Gravy Seals, from Meal Team Six of the Delta Forks brigade?

    2. Alan Brown Silver badge

      Re: In the Navy!

      I'd be more worried about the Navy Walruses

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