Awesome - Man Escapes From Prison Multiple Times Before The Police Finally Catch On To His Scheme
Prison escapes don’t have to be that rough. Daring inmates making a bid for their freedom are often shown shooting their way out or desperately digging through tough prison soil with a makeshift shovel. That’s not how Steven Jay Russell did it — and the man is a certified expert.
Where It Ended
“I’ve spent more than 22 years of my life living in a 6-by-9-foot concrete box, deep in the heart of Texas. Think about that for a second. Why have I been put here? Well, originally I was sent to prison for insurance fraud,” Steven said.
Love Story
It’s also important to understand that Steven was motivated by love. "This is a love story," he said. "It's about what a person will do, who is in love, who can't see the forest for the trees." Before Steven fell for the real love of his life, he was already married to Debbie Davis.
Another Life
The two were raising a young daughter together, but once Steven realized he was gay, he moved to Los Angeles. He claimed to have been fired from a sales jobs due to his sexuality — this was the impetus of his foray into criminal behavior.
Meeting Phillip
Committing insurance fraud earned Steven his first round of jail time in 1992. Just a few years later, in 1995, Steven made a fateful acquaintance in the prison law library, when he helped someone reach a book from a shelf.
The Good Life
His name was Phillip Morris, and the pair hit it off. When they were paroled in the same year, they moved to Houston together. Steven, wanting to give Phillip a lavish life, conned his way into a chief financial officer position with a medical insurance company.
Lavish Purchases
Steven embezzled $800,000 in just six months to buy luxurious items like Mercedes-Benz cars, jet-skis, and Rolex watches. With such a flashy lifestyle, this didn’t go unnoticed for long. Steven was once again facing the big house.
Jailtime
Before being thrown back in prison, Steven impersonated a judge over the phone to lower his bail from $900,000 to $45,000. He paid with a bad check, which didn't earn him his freedom either. Though he was trapped, Steven know the situation wasn’t as dire as it seemed.
Walking Out
During Steven’s first sentence, he stole black pants and a walkie-talkie to pose as a workman. "I tapped on the security gate with my walkie-talkie and the guy let me through," Steven said. This daring escape took place on Friday, the 13th — Phillip’s day of birth.
Escape Number Two
He’d done it once, and on another Friday the 13th in 1996, he decided to try again. Steven used green pen ink to dye his prison uniform a color that was very similar to a doctor’s surgical gown.
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You’re Too Late
All he did next was wait until the woman working at the front desk was busy and then walked out the front door. Steven ran to a nearby house and convinced a man to give him a ride. “By the time they had their helicopters and search teams out, I was drinking margaritas in a bar in Houston," Steven said.
Casino Nights
Steven immediately found Phillip and they fled to Biloxi, Mississippi. Phillip was awaiting trial, and since he ran with Steven, he was a wanted man as well. They did live it up in casinos, but a U.S. Marshal eventually recognized Steven. Both men were arrested.
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Dedication To The Con
Once Steven was back in jail, he knew his next escape would have to be an extra crafty one. In 1998, he ate very little and took laxatives to mimic symptoms of AIDS. He also forged his health records. The plan worked marvelously.
Faking His Death
Steven was transferred into a nursing home, where he entered himself into a fake treatment program by posing as his own doctor over the phone. Weeks later, he called the prison again, claiming he’d died. This worked. And again, Steven was free.
More Impersonations
Next, Steven called the unit where Phillip was imprisoned, impersonated a judge, and ordered Phillip to be transferred to Dallas. Then, using a stolen attorney’s bar card, he posed as Phillip’s attorney. Before the U.S. Marshals knew it, the couple managed to sneak away.
Fake Agent
Steven was caught again when he attempted to cash a fake check. When the police caught him, he faked a heart attack and was transferred to the hospital. There, called the hospital on his cell phone as a fake FBI agent, getting himself released.
Making The Silver Screen
He was caught in Florida a few months later and was sentenced to 144 years in prison: 99 for the escapes and 45 for his other crimes. In 2009, he recorded his life story in a memoir, which was then adapted in the film, I Love You Phillip Morris.
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What’s Phillip’s Take?
Phillip hasn’t been in jail since 2006. In hindsight, Phillip says that he was manipulated by Steven. He loves that the film came out because it tells his story of victimization accurately. Though Phillip can now move on from Steven’s influence on his life, Steven can’t. He’s paid the price.
Torturing Inmates
"Solitary confinement is designed to weaken and destroy a human being. It’s a perverse form of retribution,” Steven said of his severe punishment. “Over the years, I’ve known 21 men that have died by suicide from hanging, cutting their jugular vein or femoral artery or overdosing on prescription medications.”
The Worst Environment
For over 20 years, and for the foreseeable future, Steven has been trapped in these horrifying conditions. He lives in the Texas Death Row Building, at the Polunsky Unit where, along with the suicides, he’s “witnessed hundreds of self-mutilations.”
Treat Steven Like A Person
While he isn’t a violent criminal. Steven could very likely be spending the remainder of his days behind bars. Then again, he might charm his way out. Plenty of other con artists since his heyday have proved that the biggest liars are often those you'd never suspect.
A Silver Spoon
Sometimes, grifters seem perfectly friendly and well-adjusted. Christine Lee was a Chemical Engineering major at Sydney University in Australia. She came from a very well-off family that supported her throughout her educational pursuits. But other students noticed something was off.
Fashion Sense
Christine was a bit of a fashionista around campus. The outfits, shoes, and accessories she wore around the school were nothing like what the other college students would wear. Her affluent status was nothing she tried to hide.
Expensive Accessories
When she went to class, she would wear Christian Louboutin heels, her phone was in a Moschino protective phone case, and she carried a Hermes Birkin handbag worth around $10,000. Her wardrobe was nothing a college student could afford.
Top-of-the-Line
Her friends noticed that her dorm was overflowing with designer purses, clothes, jewelry all worth thousands. On top of that, she always had the newest technology and even her vacuum was top-of-the-line. But, as far as her friends knew, her parents were just incredibly wealthy.
Money Questions
But although Christine's parents were well-off, they weren't wealthy enough to support these types of shopping habits. In one trip alone to Dior, Christine spent over $220,000. So where was Christine getting this money?
Believe it or not, it took Christine a while to figure out that something was off. She started to notice that she had extra funds and she was able to stretch her spending little by little each month but just assumed that her parents were transferring her extra money without telling her.
This went on for months and months. Christine didn't want to bring it up with her parents — why risk spoiling a good thing? Still, she was starting to believe that something else was going on that led to her newfound wealth.
Any occasion she had to flaunt her belongings, she did: Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook. She was living her best life, and she hoped the money would never stop flowing. But things were about to catch up with her...
After living 11 months in a financially carefree life, her bank started to catch on. Bank employees noticed that Christine was making incredibly expensive purchases in amounts that didn't make sense given the relatively small deposits made each month.
When they looked into it, they realized the high spending Christine was doing was because of their own error. It appeared that Westpac bank accidentally gave her a bit of an extension of her credit limit. Just how much?
An unlimited overdraft extension. In that 11 month period, Christine managed to go on a $4.6 million spending spree on major designers like Hermes, Chanel, Dior, and Christian Louboutin to name a few.
An angry senior manager from Westpac bank called Christine questioning her. Did she think the bank would never notice? She hung up the phone after refusing to talk to him. Christine realized the jig was up and that she was about to be in a world of trouble.
Christine needed to think of an escape plan quickly before things got out of hand, so she arranged to get an emergency Malaysian passport. Her plan was to fly back home to Malaysia before things got worse.
She threw some of her things into her designer luggage and headed for Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport. She was able to make it through security and to the gate. It appeared that Christine was going to make it out of the country undetected.
She was boarding the plane back to Malaysia when the police ended up intercepting her and arresting her on the spot. They took Christine into custody and went to investigate her dorm room.
That's when they discovered just how much Christine was able to buy on stolen money. They confiscated all of her designer purchases along with their certificates of authenticity. They also discovered something else.
Christine, knowing very well that this money did not belong to her, transferred $1.3 million worth of these funds to various private accounts. This was the proof Westpac bank needed to prove that this wasn't an accident: Christine was aware of what was happening and what she was doing.
When her court day arrived, Christine showed up to court wearing ripped jeans, a black tank top, and sneakers. She wore a backpack that had a pink, fluffy keychain attached to it — a far cry from her usual look.
Hugo Aston, Christine's lawyer, spoke on her behalf. Christine plead innocent, claiming that she thought it was her parents' money. Although the evidence was there to convict, this statement made the bank nervous.
Westpac bank and their attorney were hesitant. A similar case was recently thrown out. In the end, they dropped the criminal charges against her and tried again in a civil court instead.
As for Westpac, in 2018, they were still figuring out how to get their money back and how to build a case against her. Christine was allowed to move back to Malaysia free of prosecution and had to return approximately $1 million worth of designer purchases.
Westpac is not the only one that is seduced by glamor, fashion, socialites, artists, and attention. They encompass the trifecta of high class: money, fame, and scandal. And When Anna Delvey appeared on that social scene in New York, she fit right in— at first.
Anna Delvey was the life of the party. She fit in with Manhattan's elite effortlessly, but she certainly had secrets. Her accent led people to conclude she was European, and her wads of cash led people to conclude that she was very wealthy, despite being only 25. Who was this new socialite on the scene?
Anna's story started on February 18, 2017, when she first checked in to 11 Howard, a fancy hotel in SoHo, Manhattan. Staff noticed her right away. After all, she tipped everyone $100 every time she saw them, and it was money that would pay off...
Anna quickly befriended a concierge who was roughly her same age. She asked Neff Davis from Crown Heights, Brooklyn for restaurant suggestions, but seemed to already know of every one that Neff suggested. "This was not a guest who wanted my advice, this was a guest who wanted my time."
Neff didn't mind spending time with Anna since she was grateful for her generous tips. Even the bellboys literally fought to help Anna because they knew that they would get a Benjamin. Anna threw cash around wherever she went.
Anna and Neff got along well and started visiting bars, restaurants, and clubs together, even mixing with artists like Guido Cacciatori, Gro Curtis, and Giorgia Tordini. Anna seemed particularly interested and knowledgeable in the world of fashion and art.
Anna knew how to climb up the social ladder, rung by rung, and kept working hard to meet even more famous, more wealthy, more successful people. She began hosting dinners and parties until all of her friends' friends knew her name. But she always kept Neff nearby.
One night, thanks to Anna, Neff even found herself seated next to her childhood idol, Macaulay Culkin. "Which was awkward," she said. "Because I had so many questions. And he was right there. Still, I never got the chance to be like, 'So, your the godfather to Michael Jackson's kids?'"
One of the closest friends Anna collected was Michael Xufu Huang, an art collector who founded his first museum at the age of 22. They planned a trip to Europe together, but Anna asked him to put flights and hotels on his credit cards, promising to pay him back... but she never did. That's when her secrets started unraveling.
You see, Huang had seen Anna spend money, so he figured she'd be good for it. They had a great time in Venice, but when they returned, she never offered to pay him back. It didn't seem too big of a deal, and she got away with it — this time.
It was a few weeks before her birthday when she hired a PR firm to throw her an unforgettable b-day bash at one of her favorite restaurants, Sadelle's. When it came time to pay up, Anna was gone. The firm even contacted Huang to see if he knew where to find her, but he was just as stumped. But he knew one thing: Anna wasn't someone he could trust anymore.
It was a few weeks before her birthday when she hired a PR firm to throw her an unforgettable b-day bash at one of her favorite restaurants, Sadelle's. When it came time to pay up, Anna was gone. The firm even contacted Huang to see if he knew where to find her, but he was just as stumped. But he knew one thing: Anna wasn't someone he could trust anymore.
Huang began asking around to see if anyone had a deeper insight into Anna's life. Not only did nobody know her whereabouts they also didn't know her origin. Some assumed she was Russian, or Polish, or German. A few thought she came from oil money while others thought she was the child of a diplomat. The only thing they were certain about was her interest in parties and art.
Truthfully, Anna wasn't just a socialite: she had a plan. She wanted to make the right contacts in the art world to set up an exclusive club with a focus on art. She had her eyes set on 281 Park Avenue South and would call it the Anna Delvey Foundation, or ADF.
Marc Kremers was a creative director and digital designer from London whom Anna convinced to work with her on the ADF. The club would have a German bakery, restaurants, a basement nightclub, an artist residency program, and roof terrace overlooking Central Park. He said at first she was "a pleasure to work with."
But, after several months, the bills once again piled up, and Marc saw no money. "Hundreds of painful emails followed," Mar said, "complete with fictitious financial managers CCed, who'd muscle in every-time I threatened to seek legal action. As a small business owner, it was a grueling ride and nearly shut us down." The project was put on indefinite hold.
It was then that Anna met Martin Shkreli, an infamous businessman and hedge fund manager. He would soon be convicted of securities fraud, but not before giving Anna some tips.
Not long after, her hotel discovered that they didn't have a working credit card on file and locked her out. She did what Martin advised and threatened to buy web domains in all the hotel managers names; in order to use them in the future, they would have to pay her tons of money. Her dark side was starting to show...
Things had gone awry for Anna. There was little progress with the ADF and she was moving from hotel to hotel while avoiding paying for anything. She literally fled the country by taking a trip to Morocco with her personal trainer and her friend, Vanity Fair's Rachel Deloache Williams.
Of course, Rachel never saw a dime. "She walked into my life in Gucci sandals and Céline glasses," Rachel recalled, "and showed me a glamorous, frictionless world of hotel living and Le Coucou dinners and infrared saunas and Moroccan vacations. And then she made my $62,000 disappear."
By July of 2017, everything had fallen apart. Anna was arrested for three counts of misdemeanor theft of services (including a dine-and-dash) and was released without bail. Now she had nowhere to go, and no one left to turn to — not even Neff. Her old friends staged an intervention and told her the ADF was sold. With nothing left to lose, she tried to escape once again.
Using the last of her money and her tricks, Anna traveled to California, where she tried to hide in a rehabilitation center. Meanwhile, back in New York, the press got hold of her story, and slowly but certainly, the mystery that was Anna Delvey began to unravel...
The truth was: Anna Delvey didn't exist! Anna was really Anna Sorokin, a German-Russian girl from a working-class family. She tried attending the Central Saint Martins Art School in London but dropped out. She worked at Purple Magazine in Paris before moving to New York City at the age of 25. Anna Delvey got away with everything, but Anna Sorokin couldn't.
In October of 2017, she was arrested on six charges of grand larceny for scamming wealthy NYC business acquaintances and several hotels. According to the Manhattan District Attorney's office, the damage was as high as $275,000. She rejected a plea deal and faced a 15-year prison sentence.
TV producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes was set to produce a Netflix series detailing Anna's scandalous New York adventures. While a couple actors have shown interest in the lead role, Anna stated she wanted Jennifer Lawrence or Margot Robbie to portray her. She actually seemed more worried about casting than her upcoming trial.
Anna conned friends and businesses out of $275,000, using falsified documents to get multiple bank loans. She floated bad checks and took out lines of credit. The plan was to pay it all back with money from the ADF, but it never came. Still, she could come out of prison an even smarter criminal mastermind. Like another brilliant scammer, she might go bigger and bolder...
The Big Premiere
Leonardo DiCaprio usually hangs out with supermodels, but he had a very different companion at The Wolf of Wall Street premiere. The stranger reportedly befriended Leo by gifting him with a Picasso painting and helping fund the movie. But who exactly was this guy?
Malaysian Party Animal
He was a Malaysian financier named Jho Low. Frequenting star-studded parties and carrying out huge real estate transactions, he was a distinguished businessman and self-made billionaire. At least, that's what Jho wanted everybody to think.
Blue Bloods
Unsurprisingly, Jho came from money. His father, Larry Low, worked as an executive at an investment company. Though Larry made millions, his business practices were known for having a shady side, and he dreamed of his son joining him in his shadowy pursuits...
Desperate to Impress
Jho attended the prestigious Harrow School in London. From the onset, he sought the approval of his wealthy and powerful classmates. Jho went so far as to throw a party on a friend's yacht and fill it with family photos so everyone would think the Lows owned the vessel.
Acquiring Powerful Friends
At Harrow, Jho continued to befriend people who he hoped to use later, including Riza Aziz, stepson of eventual Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Riza, below, aspired to be a filmmaker. He and Jho planned one day to produce blockbuster movies together.
Financial Fake
After Harrow, Jho studied at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. There, he connected with prominent families and convinced them to take him on as a financial manager — even though he had no experience in the field! After graduating, he became a virtual overnight success in the finance world.
Hiring Celebrity Pals
Most people would be content with that kind of money, but not Jho. What he really craved was fame and notoriety. Although he was not talented, Jho realized that he could enter Hollywood's inner circle by paying stars to spend time with him.
Going Full Gatsby
Perhaps foreshadowing his eventual friendship with Leo DiCaprio, Jho poised himself as a 21st-century Jay Gatsby. For his 31st birthday in 2012, Jho set out to put himself on the map by hosting one of the most expensive private parties in history.
A Spears Cameo
He offered Britney Spears hundreds of thousands of dollars to jump out of a cake and perform a couple of songs. The odd request shocked the pop star, but how could she refuse that kind of paycheck? Britney was far from the only star that Jho lured into his social life.
Philanthropy with a Catch
In the philanthropic world, Jho donated huge sums of money to cancer research after having a brush with the disease himself. His generosity brought invitations to high-profile charity events, where he rubbed shoulders with more stars, including Alicia Keys.
Courting a Supermodel
Shortly after Miranda Kerr divorced Orlando Bloom, Jho leaped to the opportunity to impress the newly single supermodel. He showered her in gifts, including a $4.5 million diamond, cut into the shape of a heart.
Paris Joins the Party
Kerr wasn't the only celeb who caught his eye. Tabloid reporters spotted Jho partying with socialite Paris Hilton on multiple occasions. He wooed her unsuccessfully but certainly enjoyed seeing photos of the two of them together. It easily justified the cost of paying Paris to hang out with him.
The Equanimity
To fulfill his teenage dreams, Jho even bought his own yacht. This was no ordinary boat, either. Dubbed the Equanimity, the superyacht was longer than a football field and boasted its own swimming pool and helicopter pad. The vessel cost a staggering $250 million.
The Whale Surfaces
Surrounded by so many visible signs of success, Jho felt unstoppable. He became known as a "whale," a casino term for an especially notable high-roller. But even as his profile rose, Jho held onto a secret that he desperately hoped nobody would discover.
The Truth at Last
In 2018, his luck ran out. Wall Street Journal staffers Tom Wright and Bradley Hope published a book about Jho, entitled Billion Dollar Whale. They pulled back the curtain and showed that Jho was nothing more than a fraud and a criminal.
White Collar Crime
Jho played a central role in abusing 1MDB, a wealth fund run by the Malaysian government. He became president of the account and secretly directed public money into projects that fed his own interests. Wright and Hope estimated that Jho siphoned $4.5 billion away from 1MDB.
Allies Get Arrested
Of course, Jho had friends all the way at the top of the Malaysian government, including Prime Minister Najib Razak. The PM, however, was arrested on corruption charges shortly after leaving office. If the head of a country could not escape such severe consequences, what could Jho do?
On the Lam
He fled. In 2018, Malaysian police, along with authorities from many other countries, were on the lookout for Jho. They believed he was hiding somewhere in East Asia, but he had been apprehended.
Reputation in the Gutter
If one thing is for certain, it's that these money laundering allegations have shattered Jho Low's good standing. Even if he somehow evades legal ramifications, he'll never return to the quasi-celebrity status that he once enjoyed. That ship has sailed for this pirate.
Possible Disguises
As of October 2018, Jho was still on the lam. Some experts theorized he may have undergone plastic surgery to evade search parties. Is this disappearing act Jho's greatest con yet, or is it just the last stand of a desperate man? Only time will tell.
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