A Miami-Dade teacher gave her $425K life savings to a pilot. Here’s where he is today

Robert59

Robert59

Well-known Member
Location
Now I live in Tennesee. Did live in Michigan.
A Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher spent a career building a $425,447 retirement nest egg. Licensed pilot Michael Atkins spent three years convincing her to loan it to him.

Now, Atkins will spend four years and three months in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud and identity theft.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/miami-dade-teacher-gave-her-143846932.html
 

What an outstanding deal for Michael Atkins.

Works out to be $106,000.00 (and change) each year that Atkins is behind bars (a healthy yearly salary), and once he get's out, they'll be no restitution, because chances are good, Atkins doesn't have a pot to (you know what in), and we all know you can't draw blood from a stone, so he'll walk away a free man after his term is served, and more than likely be on the hunt for his next victim.

This is what should await Atkins, not a jail sentence.

Pin by pneu prout on Illustrations for Advertising & Design | Creepy photos, Russian tattoo, Torso tattoos
 
What a piece of work this guy is. I hope the judge gave him some kind of a time frame to start repaying the debt or return to jail to finish out his sentence. There needs to be an incentive here to do the right thing and start paying back the debt ASAP.
 

Don M. said:
Seniors...especially those living alone, with little or no trusted family members nearby, must Always be on alert for potential scams. There is No shortage of scumbags who make a career out of taking advantage of older folks.
Click to expand...
I will never be able to fathom, that among us, walks individuals who possess no conscience, and are perfectly comfortably with destroying other people's lives.
 
The article says there were three checks. She endorsed the first two. But then, it says:

The third check, for $317,916, needed D.W.’s endorsement, which Atkins provided without her knowledge.
Click to expand...

In other words, he forged her endorsement. So, what happens in the case of forgeries? I can't believe she can't get reimbursement from the bank.
 
Sad but even more sadly, an all too common story.

We had my MIL live with us for 7 yrs. She was absolutely the "poster child" for an elderly woman easy to scam. Fortunately Spouse is from a traditional Asian family so she was fine with him taking over her finances.

I can totally see my MIL doing something like this, however, if we hadn't been there for her. She had absolutely NO concept that there were people who were dishonest and without conscience.

The real irony is that my in-laws had ALREADY lost over $100K of their retirement savings in a fraudulent investment back in the 1990's!

You would think they would learn from it.......but MIL, at least, never did.
 
Romance scammers are the scum of the Earth. This guy stole her money, her trust, her self-esteem and her heart. Jail is too good for him. I say seize everything that's ever going to come his way and make sure she gets it, Social Security, pensions, wages, tax refunds, inheritances, anything and everything.
 
'spent 3 years trying to get her to 'loan' him the money ie the long con. Unfortunitely I know people like that who are constantly working people for favors and money years on end. Every gathering, party, dinner or conversation with that person has one purpose- a future favor.

I know a pos who admitted they hated going to certain holiday parties, gatherings with some acquaintances but admitted they might need them for future favors. There are people that every word and interaction with people is for future favors period, they are engaged for a purpose-not to hang out. They're nothing but grifters.

If you think someone is kissing your butt they probably are-for a reason.

To top it off this guy is a pilot. That takes training and eductaion which means he could've learned or taken on many other ventures to make legal money.
 
Part of a con is exploiting a weakness which is what grifters and low lifes do. A weakness for some is loneliness. The predator can pick up on that it's not just about being single, widowed etc but like a predator in the wild looking for weak prey these conmen or women can see it in people.

This women conned men using a dating site. She knows right off the bat that a dating site with people desperate for companionship is fertile hunting grounds.

https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/rela...m/news-story/029dbfe628dde534f66e092d0a9e71d7

So if all the sudden a new person tries to get close to you fast or talks money I'd be leary. To me that is the give away. Beyond some very basic or generic talk once detailed information is brought into the conversation red alert. Many still consider personal finance like health-it's private and rude/ignorant to talk about it. Family drunk always likes to talk money under the guise of business but has the odacity to ask people about their finances, even casual and/or business acquaintances they talk salary, investments etc. So if the subject of money or detailed financial information ever comes up in a new or different relationship run or just avoid the subject..
 
win231 said:
It was likely difficult for her to turn him down because she felt lucky any man would be with her. Often the result of low self esteem.
Click to expand...
Low self esteem could've lead to loneliness. Either way a predator can pick up on that. And that's what people have to realize. And a predator might not be who one suspects or a documented criminal.

Not only do you have career criminals but you have greedy people and people who never want to admit to or suffer the consequences of their decisions, especially the financial ones. They consider money a cup of sugar or paper clip. If someone borrows those things no one worries if they are paid back or returned. This 'pilot' is a real self centered piece of work and poop. He grifted, committed a crime because of his selfishness. There were probably signs long before he met this woman as well. Pos.
 
These kind of stories are so pitiful and sad but one has to wonder WTH these women are thinking! I agree with @win231. She was probably lonely, maybe homely and he took advantage by making her feel desirable and loved. Then there's the feigned desperation..."If you don't do this for me [whatever line works best here]. Or the assurance of business success or all of the above.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
These kind of stories are so pitiful and sad but one has to wonder WTH these women are thinking! I agree with @win231. She was probably lonely, maybe homely and he took advantage by making her feel desirable and loved. Then there's the feigned desperation..."If you don't do this for me [whatever line works best here]. Or the assurance of business success or all of the above.
Click to expand...

These sociopathic life forms are the second worst creatures on the planet. Only child molesters are truly lower on the moral scale of human depravity. The saddest story I witnessed was at Washington Union Station when AMTRAK police officers asked my conductor if a gentlemen could ride with us and of course he was accommodated. At NYP I asked my conductor what the guys story was and that's when I learned that one of the most lucrative internet scams were women conning men into wiring them hundreds if not thousands of dollars with a promise that they would live with and serve them for life. As if that wasn't enough this guy actually stayed in the station for 2 days waiting for his future love doll to show up while she kept calling him on his cellphone saying she kept losing her purse on the train and the money he kept sending her. I guess love is not only blind but makes a lonely person stupid. If only he dared ask her just how could money jump out of an ATM machine and land on a moving train. I guess stupid is as stupid does.
 


Back
Top