1 00:00:00,620 --> 00:00:07,060 In this episode of American Greed, Troy Stratos goes through life asking, why 2 00:00:07,060 --> 00:00:09,760 work for money when it's so easy to steal? 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:15,940 And all he makes off with more than $40 million from people who call him a 4 00:00:15,940 --> 00:00:21,280 friend, like Nicole Murphy, Eddie Murphy's ex -wife, worth millions. 5 00:00:21,900 --> 00:00:24,060 Troy and I had such a great relationship. 6 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:26,800 We were like the best of friends. 7 00:00:27,710 --> 00:00:31,550 But Stratos is more often described as a predator than a friend. 8 00:00:32,290 --> 00:00:36,130 He dazzles his victims with charm and promises. 9 00:00:36,810 --> 00:00:42,850 He was willing to sign an $11 million, 11 movie contract with me to keep the 10 00:00:42,850 --> 00:00:44,150 exclusive to him. 11 00:00:44,830 --> 00:00:47,110 Then he destroys them. 12 00:00:48,210 --> 00:00:53,910 He yelled at me for a half an hour, called me stupid, incompetent, lazy, 13 00:00:54,390 --> 00:00:59,010 idiotic. But his is a con that pays off big. 14 00:00:59,590 --> 00:01:04,110 He was spending, on average, $1 million a month. 15 00:01:04,750 --> 00:01:08,150 He's the greatest con man, in my opinion, that ever lived. 16 00:01:24,970 --> 00:01:30,830 In early 2007, Troy Stratos is living in a 12 ,000 -square -foot mansion outside 17 00:01:30,830 --> 00:01:32,370 of Sacramento, California. 18 00:01:33,230 --> 00:01:38,130 He is taking care of the house because the owner, his good friend Nicole 19 00:01:38,450 --> 00:01:42,010 actor Eddie Murphy's ex -wife, has moved to Los Angeles. 20 00:01:42,690 --> 00:01:45,030 He gets a call. It's Nicole. 21 00:01:45,670 --> 00:01:50,630 She has entrusted Stratos with her money, and now she is being hounded by 22 00:01:50,630 --> 00:01:51,630 creditors. 23 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,500 Stratus reassures her that everything is fine. 24 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:06,520 But he is lying. 25 00:02:07,740 --> 00:02:13,060 At this point, he has already taken at least $13 million from trusting victims 26 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:14,540 like Nicole Murphy. 27 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:20,980 And the question is, what is the secret to this con artist's stunning success? 28 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,680 The answer begins in Maui in 1994. 29 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,220 Stratos is 28, an aspiring film director. 30 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,740 He comes to the island to work on a film script with the man who will become one 31 00:02:38,740 --> 00:02:42,220 of his best friends in life, Richard Hack. 32 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:48,780 He was extremely articulate and charming, and I thought that I was 33 00:02:48,780 --> 00:02:51,480 this substantial talent. 34 00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:54,820 Hack is a journalist. 35 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,980 a best -selling author of more than a dozen books. 36 00:02:58,300 --> 00:03:01,260 He is a favorite guest for television interviews. 37 00:03:01,820 --> 00:03:05,520 Richard Hack uncovers America's first billionaire in his new book, simply 38 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:06,520 Hughes. 39 00:03:07,340 --> 00:03:13,280 In Maui, as Stratus and Hack become friends, Stratus describes the sad 40 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,180 of his childhood, a story he tells many victims. 41 00:03:18,820 --> 00:03:21,040 He is an unwanted baby. 42 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:26,900 His father, who he does not know growing up, is black. His mother is a white 43 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:29,880 teenager. He is raised by his grandparents. 44 00:03:31,020 --> 00:03:37,100 Every time someone would come over to the house, Troy was removed and put in 45 00:03:37,100 --> 00:03:43,000 outbuilding because he was mixed. He wasn't white like the rest of the 46 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:48,440 The story might be true, or it might be a setup. 47 00:03:49,310 --> 00:03:52,930 It's a soft spot, I think, for most people. When they hear that you've had a 48 00:03:52,930 --> 00:03:56,670 traumatic childhood, they're willing to forgive so many things because they say, 49 00:03:56,730 --> 00:03:59,150 wow, look at everything you've overcome. 50 00:04:00,490 --> 00:04:06,510 Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game, has spent years 51 00:04:06,510 --> 00:04:09,130 psychology of con artists and their victims. 52 00:04:09,990 --> 00:04:14,110 And so he taps into that right away. He's the victim. You're not going to be 53 00:04:14,110 --> 00:04:15,110 victim. 54 00:04:15,530 --> 00:04:20,089 As Stratos continues his story for Hack, It all seems plausible. 55 00:04:21,269 --> 00:04:25,490 Young and handsome, Stratos says he heads off to modeling school. 56 00:04:26,230 --> 00:04:29,710 There, he becomes friends with beautiful Nicole Mitchell. 57 00:04:30,030 --> 00:04:34,690 He is 16, she is 14, and destined to be discovered. 58 00:04:35,770 --> 00:04:39,490 Eleven years later, she marries comedian Eddie Murphy. 59 00:04:40,250 --> 00:04:43,590 And Stratos also gets a claim to fame. 60 00:04:44,250 --> 00:04:48,370 He tracks down his father, who is now married to Nancy Wilson. 61 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:50,360 the legendary jazz singer. 62 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,200 She is a huge boost to Stratus' credibility. 63 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:01,000 But then 64 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:07,960 Stratus tells Hack his big lie. 65 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:14,760 He says he made a fortune as an early investor in AOL and now has millions 66 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,360 invested in the Middle East in oil. 67 00:05:18,190 --> 00:05:22,930 He said he had an endless amount of funds. He said he would never be able to 68 00:05:22,930 --> 00:05:24,410 spend the amount of money that he had. 69 00:05:25,550 --> 00:05:28,570 His Social Security records tell a different story. 70 00:05:29,170 --> 00:05:32,750 The last time he ever reports any income is 1993. 71 00:05:34,430 --> 00:05:35,450 $30 ,000. 72 00:05:37,870 --> 00:05:41,290 But Hack is not interested in Stratos' money. 73 00:05:42,990 --> 00:05:47,770 What is most important to him is that Stratto shares a dream of his. 74 00:05:49,030 --> 00:05:54,470 I was impressed by the fact that this was a guy that didn't like violence 75 00:05:54,470 --> 00:05:57,510 on TV or in the movies. 76 00:05:58,190 --> 00:06:04,410 And I thought, it is time for us to return to a gentler time, like the glory 77 00:06:04,410 --> 00:06:08,810 days of Hollywood, the golden age, and this guy agreed with that. 78 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:15,700 With Richard Hack clearly a believer in Troy Stratus, Stratus takes off. 79 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,520 He heads to Vancouver in British Columbia. 80 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:27,140 He opens a production company in the prestigious Waterfall building and hires 81 00:06:27,140 --> 00:06:29,600 Tamara Hegan as part of his team. 82 00:06:31,020 --> 00:06:37,080 You had a bunch of young people who had no experience in the industry at all 83 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:41,260 that were being told that they were amazing, they were going to be able to 84 00:06:41,260 --> 00:06:41,999 it big. 85 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:47,740 Stratos tells his team they will be working with Britney Spears and Donna 86 00:06:47,740 --> 00:06:52,800 Summer. We bought in 100%. We believed in him. We believed in his vision. 87 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,220 And he is big on making promises. 88 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,000 He was going to buy us all a house. I was going to have a house. 89 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:07,520 And sometimes Stratos' promises are particularly manipulative. 90 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:13,480 He had a habit of picking up waiters, lavish them with gifts, convince them 91 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:18,200 he was going to make them the next big thing, get them to sign an agreement, 92 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:24,200 slowly but surely it would come around to, you know, it's a more intimate 93 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,140 relationship is what he's looking for. 94 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:33,000 And while he is pursuing relationships with young men, he also begins a 95 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,480 relationship with a woman with just what he needs, money. 96 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:43,280 She is a realtor worth millions named Vivi True. 97 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:51,540 Vivi True is the name of this very lovely woman who was enamored with Troy. 98 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,980 She was in love with this guy for sure. 99 00:07:56,620 --> 00:08:03,440 And showed that love by affording him capital. 100 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:04,680 Giving him money. 101 00:08:05,540 --> 00:08:08,860 Stratos tells True his money is tied up overseas. 102 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:11,460 That he just needs a loan. 103 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:17,080 She doesn't know that he told the same story to another woman who loved him 104 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:18,420 a few years before. 105 00:08:19,380 --> 00:08:22,680 Stratos has perfected the sweetheart scam. 106 00:08:23,420 --> 00:08:25,140 It relies on... 107 00:08:25,530 --> 00:08:29,950 kind of this emotional need that all of us have. I mean, we want love. 108 00:08:31,350 --> 00:08:37,330 And Stratos knows that when someone loves him, he is in complete control. 109 00:08:38,429 --> 00:08:41,730 He would blackmail her with his affections. 110 00:08:42,070 --> 00:08:46,770 If she got too upset about the money, then, well, I don't think that we should 111 00:08:46,770 --> 00:08:49,270 date. I'm not going to have dinner with you. I'm not going to see you. 112 00:08:49,870 --> 00:08:52,390 And Vivi True caves to his threats. 113 00:08:53,180 --> 00:08:57,780 Over several years, she loaned Stratus an astounding $10 million. 114 00:08:58,940 --> 00:09:02,880 And he blows through it as if the supply will never end. 115 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:09,620 He would buy clothing, cars. He walked in and bought a G -Wagon 116 00:09:09,620 --> 00:09:12,420 from Mercedes -Benz dealership for cash. 117 00:09:13,020 --> 00:09:18,140 As he goes through B .B. True's life savings, his big projects are going 118 00:09:18,140 --> 00:09:19,140 nowhere. 119 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:24,190 And if anyone challenges Stratus in any way, There is hell to pay. 120 00:09:24,930 --> 00:09:28,070 One of his favorite tactics was public humiliation. 121 00:09:28,590 --> 00:09:34,210 He had me stand up in the middle of an open office, and he yelled at me for a 122 00:09:34,210 --> 00:09:39,250 half an hour, called me stupid, incompetent, lazy, idiotic. 123 00:09:39,610 --> 00:09:44,090 His staff's initial excitement has turned to fear and dread. 124 00:09:45,690 --> 00:09:48,910 It got to be really scary. 125 00:09:49,690 --> 00:09:52,710 And you got to a point where you were like, what have I gotten myself into? 126 00:09:53,690 --> 00:09:56,950 And so the entire team quits. 127 00:09:57,650 --> 00:10:00,390 Stratos has tapped Canada for all he can. 128 00:10:01,350 --> 00:10:02,810 It's time to move on. 129 00:10:05,490 --> 00:10:07,230 Next stop, Boston. 130 00:10:08,250 --> 00:10:10,410 Richard Hack is now living nearby. 131 00:10:11,770 --> 00:10:14,070 Stratos arrives with a big idea. 132 00:10:14,510 --> 00:10:16,730 To build a film studio here. 133 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:19,120 But not just any studio. 134 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,480 RKO Radio Pictures. 135 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:28,520 RKO Studios was the creator of some of Hollywood's most beloved films. 136 00:10:29,220 --> 00:10:33,180 The idea plays directly into Richard Hack's dream. 137 00:10:34,140 --> 00:10:40,320 I was certain that Troy was sincere with his idea about bringing, you know, 138 00:10:40,340 --> 00:10:42,180 romance back to movies. 139 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:49,160 To negotiate the necessary land deals, Stratos gets in touch with high -end 140 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:51,140 estate broker Jeff Goldman. 141 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:57,580 I had my doubts, but what enhanced his credibility is the fact that Richard 142 00:10:57,580 --> 00:11:03,840 was so deeply involved in all of his plans, and Richard Hack is a verifiable 143 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:04,840 person. 144 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:11,340 One time we were out at dinner, and Richard says to me, turn on 60 Minutes 145 00:11:11,340 --> 00:11:13,800 Sunday night. I'm going to be on 60 Minutes. 146 00:11:14,380 --> 00:11:18,260 And I turned on 60 Minutes, and lo and behold, there's Richard Hack. 147 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:24,720 Goldman dedicates a year and a half to Stratos' proposal putting aside other 148 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:26,340 income -producing projects. 149 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:32,460 And then, just as the deal is about to close, Stratos pulls out. 150 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:39,860 And Jeff Goldman, who feels used and burned, thinks he knows exactly who Troy 151 00:11:39,860 --> 00:11:40,920 Stratos is. 152 00:11:41,580 --> 00:11:44,560 He's the greatest con man, in my opinion, that ever lived. 153 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:51,780 But Richard Hack still has faith in Stratos, and in 2004, he gets a 154 00:11:51,780 --> 00:11:53,940 offer from his good friend. 155 00:11:55,020 --> 00:12:01,100 He said that he had enough work to keep me in business writing movies, and he 156 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:06,720 was willing to sign an $11 million, 11 -movie contract with me to keep the 157 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:08,000 exclusive to him. 158 00:12:09,290 --> 00:12:14,430 The first project, called The Pharaonic Prophecies, will be shot in Egypt. 159 00:12:14,670 --> 00:12:17,610 Three spectacular two -hour movies. 160 00:12:18,010 --> 00:12:23,970 It was the first time that I actually had essentially sold my 161 00:12:23,970 --> 00:12:30,930 soul to this person that I believed would make 162 00:12:30,930 --> 00:12:32,270 these movies happen. 163 00:12:33,310 --> 00:12:35,610 Troy, more than anyone, he's selling dreams. 164 00:12:36,410 --> 00:12:40,870 The movie that you want, I can get it made. The house that you want, I can get 165 00:12:40,870 --> 00:12:43,870 it built. The business that you want, I can get it started. 166 00:12:44,350 --> 00:12:50,770 I mean, he is brilliant in figuring out what drives you and then using that to 167 00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:52,390 get everything that he can from you. 168 00:12:54,010 --> 00:13:00,290 Next on American Greed, Nicole Murphy becomes Troy Stratus' perfect mark. 169 00:13:00,910 --> 00:13:04,590 When I was going through my divorce, that's so emotional. I'm like... 170 00:13:04,830 --> 00:13:06,250 confided in my friend. 171 00:13:21,730 --> 00:13:27,530 As he approaches his 40th birthday, Troy Stratus is now living in Florida, 172 00:13:27,730 --> 00:13:33,650 keeping up appearances as the extravagant multimillionaire who has 173 00:13:33,650 --> 00:13:34,650 burn. 174 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,540 But he is, in fact, running low on cash. 175 00:13:40,660 --> 00:13:45,920 The answer to his money worries shows up in the headlines of entertainment news. 176 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:52,780 After 12 years of marriage and five children, Nicole and Eddie Murphy are 177 00:13:52,780 --> 00:13:53,780 getting divorced. 178 00:13:54,540 --> 00:13:57,940 Stratus reaches out to his old friend Nicole soon after. 179 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:04,300 Murphy later tells a Sacramento TV news crew how she welcomed his offers to 180 00:14:04,300 --> 00:14:08,160 help. I believe that he was my friend. 181 00:14:08,420 --> 00:14:12,340 I mean, when I look back, Troy and I had such a great relationship. 182 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:15,080 We were like the best of friends. 183 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:18,860 And what a friend he is. 184 00:14:20,700 --> 00:14:25,720 Eyeing her multi -million dollar divorce settlement, Stratos makes a generous 185 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:29,100 offer to share his Middle Eastern investment opportunities. 186 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:34,180 Mr. Stratos indicated he would be one that could actually be there to protect 187 00:14:34,180 --> 00:14:38,360 her money from other greedy family members or friends who might be lurking 188 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:39,360 the wings. 189 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:41,700 There is just one requirement. 190 00:14:42,420 --> 00:14:46,920 Stratos says she needs his name to get access to the investments. 191 00:14:47,460 --> 00:14:53,160 And so Troy Stratos and Nicole Murphy open a joint trust, and she deposits $10 192 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,520 million from her divorce settlement. 193 00:14:55,980 --> 00:14:57,440 Troy has total control of her money. 194 00:14:58,350 --> 00:15:02,610 She totally trusts Troy 100 % that he's going to invest the money overseas. 195 00:15:04,290 --> 00:15:09,130 Murphy moves to L .A., and Stratos, saying he will take care of selling her 196 00:15:09,130 --> 00:15:12,090 house, sets up his production company there. 197 00:15:14,630 --> 00:15:17,890 He hires a local bookkeeper, Sherry Farley. 198 00:15:18,490 --> 00:15:21,650 Troy Stratos tells her that he is a billionaire. 199 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:27,680 He needed somebody to be by his side as his finance person, and he wanted that 200 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:28,680 to be me. 201 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:34,920 And I was very flattered and thought, cool, okay, this sounds fun. 202 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,860 Sherry has a son, Sam, who works for a human resources company. 203 00:15:41,460 --> 00:15:44,340 He also gets tapped by Stratus. 204 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:46,920 He said, Sam, I need someone like you. 205 00:15:47,620 --> 00:15:49,940 I said, oh, okay. 206 00:15:50,830 --> 00:15:52,430 He said, I'm building this empire. 207 00:15:52,890 --> 00:15:55,650 I want you to help me do that. 208 00:15:58,030 --> 00:16:01,030 Sam is wondering if this guy is for real. 209 00:16:01,770 --> 00:16:07,510 When he Googles Troy Stratus, almost nothing comes up to confirm his 210 00:16:08,070 --> 00:16:11,530 But then there was Nancy Wilson and Nicole Murphy and all these other 211 00:16:12,010 --> 00:16:13,010 Had to be true. 212 00:16:13,970 --> 00:16:17,770 Sam quits his job and signs on with Stratus. 213 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:23,680 He hires Chris Budenbender to take care of the cars Stratus claims are his. 214 00:16:24,100 --> 00:16:30,860 A Mercedes G -Wagon, a customized Mustang, an Aston Martin, a Rolls 215 00:16:30,860 --> 00:16:32,600 -Royce Phantom, and more. 216 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:40,240 So I'm jaw -dropped open, like, yes, I get to work on these 217 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:46,800 cars. This guy's got something going on, and I'm not asking too many questions 218 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:47,800 right now. 219 00:16:49,060 --> 00:16:55,580 Jake Bartlett, a substitute school teacher, is hired by Stratos to do odd 220 00:16:55,580 --> 00:16:58,240 that feel truly odd. 221 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:03,200 I think the first time I just organized magazines for him. 222 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:08,359 He wanted them alphabetized, so I organized the magazines. Then he had 223 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,640 and some movies, and he had me organize those. 224 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:18,099 But the primary assignment of Stratis' new entourage seems to be witnessing how 225 00:17:18,099 --> 00:17:20,560 rich and generous he is. 226 00:17:21,859 --> 00:17:25,140 Matt Antropos is a college student at the time. 227 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,900 We went to the movies here in Sacramento, and he turns around, he's 228 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,940 I'm going to get everybody's concessions today, and everybody in line behind us. 229 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,540 Also, he paid for all of their concessions. And I was like, what in the 230 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:40,680 This is the weirdest. 231 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:42,760 thing that I've ever witnessed. 232 00:17:44,620 --> 00:17:49,140 But nothing screams excess more than the party he throws at Christmas time. 233 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:52,900 It starts with extreme shopping at Costco. 234 00:17:53,780 --> 00:17:58,780 We just walked aisle to aisle and he would just grab stuff and throw it in. 235 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:01,320 And he would say, if you want anything, grab it. 236 00:18:02,260 --> 00:18:03,280 No, no, we're fine. 237 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,320 And we'd fill up a cart, grab another cart. 238 00:18:06,260 --> 00:18:07,840 We'd fill up that cart, grab another cart. 239 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:13,910 And on the day of the big event, The decorations are festive. The presents 240 00:18:13,910 --> 00:18:18,290 extravagant. There is even a snow leopard for children to pet. 241 00:18:19,330 --> 00:18:24,070 And what is most surprising is that all this effort is not for Stratus' 242 00:18:24,210 --> 00:18:25,210 celebrity friends. 243 00:18:25,810 --> 00:18:27,430 It's for the hired help. 244 00:18:28,170 --> 00:18:32,330 He doesn't know the window guy. He doesn't know the maid service. He 245 00:18:32,330 --> 00:18:36,470 know the landscaper. You know, he doesn't know them, but they were 246 00:18:38,540 --> 00:18:42,940 But make no mistake, this party is all part of the con. 247 00:18:43,940 --> 00:18:47,480 What are you going to think when you hear that, you know, this businessman 248 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,680 invited his window washers to the party? You think, oh, my God, you know, what a 249 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,000 man of the people. What a great person. 250 00:18:54,980 --> 00:19:00,760 As 2006 comes to an end, the group of guys Stratus keeps in tow are starting 251 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:05,180 seriously question what Troy Stratus is really up to. 252 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,000 We weren't going anywhere. We weren't starting anything. 253 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:13,880 He's got like an entourage around him of people that depend on him for work. 254 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,100 Just for the heck of it. 255 00:19:17,580 --> 00:19:23,460 Up next, the simple truth about how Stratus is helping Nicole. 256 00:19:24,060 --> 00:19:28,460 This was just Troy Stratus blowing through her money like a drunken sailor. 257 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:46,460 In early 2007, Troy Stratus and Sam Farley arrive in L .A. to interview 258 00:19:46,460 --> 00:19:49,180 potential personal staff for Stratus. 259 00:19:49,860 --> 00:19:52,160 They check into the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. 260 00:19:52,940 --> 00:19:57,600 Stratus has reserved the presidential suite, $5 ,000 a night. 261 00:19:58,260 --> 00:20:03,080 Looking back, I should have bought something with a... Troy put down his 262 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,500 and it got declined. 263 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:08,620 And I saw that... 264 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:12,980 Troy was probably going to lose it at this point, so I quickly grabbed my card 265 00:20:12,980 --> 00:20:17,760 and threw it down and said, oh, here, just put it on this card. 266 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,960 Knowing as a corporate expense, I could expense it. 267 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:27,960 Sherry Farley is also covering some of Stratus's expenses and dealing with a 268 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,780 constant shortage of cash in his bank account. 269 00:20:31,100 --> 00:20:33,580 But she learns not to question him. 270 00:20:34,140 --> 00:20:37,300 When he would yell at you, it was explosive. 271 00:20:39,110 --> 00:20:44,970 It was abusive. It was... You didn't want it to happen, and so you started to 272 00:20:44,970 --> 00:20:47,150 anything to not get yelled at. 273 00:20:48,630 --> 00:20:54,350 By now, Stratos is tired of California and moves back to Florida. 274 00:20:54,910 --> 00:20:58,510 He brings the California entourage with him. 275 00:20:59,390 --> 00:21:03,130 Each day was filled with mindless... 276 00:21:03,340 --> 00:21:07,100 We would all meet together for breakfast. Then we'd go to the gym. 277 00:21:07,340 --> 00:21:08,760 Then we'd go to lunch. 278 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:15,340 And while Stratos drives the rolls around Fort Lauderdale, Sherry is 279 00:21:15,340 --> 00:21:17,000 to keep the bills paid. 280 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:23,420 At this point, Sam and Sherry are still carrying expenses on their own credit 281 00:21:23,420 --> 00:21:25,360 cards that have not been reimbursed. 282 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,360 And in February, terrible news. 283 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:32,480 Sherry Farley can't make the payroll. 284 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:39,280 Troy kept telling us again and again, I'm trying to transfer the money in. You 285 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:43,980 don't understand what it takes to get money transferred from Swiss banks, from 286 00:21:43,980 --> 00:21:44,980 Dubai. 287 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,600 Sam Farley is already living on credit cards. 288 00:21:48,980 --> 00:21:52,940 He is falling behind on his mortgage and has a family to support. 289 00:21:53,460 --> 00:21:56,860 I was scared to death. I think it was the first time that I really felt panic 290 00:21:56,860 --> 00:22:01,880 that this was all just smoke and mirrors. 291 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:07,080 And then the next month, again, no paycheck. 292 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:10,700 Missing out on one check was tight. 293 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,500 When the next check didn't come, then we were in despair. 294 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:17,080 There is one last hope. 295 00:22:17,860 --> 00:22:22,300 Stratos receives a bank loan and the money is deposited into his account. 296 00:22:22,860 --> 00:22:24,680 But it does not last long. 297 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:28,480 It came in and it went out. 298 00:22:28,820 --> 00:22:30,500 And that's when I knew. 299 00:22:31,310 --> 00:22:32,490 We're not getting paid. 300 00:22:33,170 --> 00:22:40,130 As the reality of their situation sinks in, Nicole Murphy is also in a state 301 00:22:40,130 --> 00:22:41,069 of panic. 302 00:22:41,070 --> 00:22:44,910 Stratos has refinanced her houses for about $3 million. 303 00:22:45,390 --> 00:22:49,370 Her jewelry, worth as much as $1 million, is missing. 304 00:22:50,050 --> 00:22:52,130 Collection agencies are calling. 305 00:22:52,430 --> 00:22:54,610 Her insurance is unpaid. 306 00:22:55,070 --> 00:22:59,410 She starts recording her phone conversations with Stratos. 307 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:03,760 I'm just stressed. I'm in a situation. I have bills. 308 00:23:03,980 --> 00:23:04,859 I have loans. 309 00:23:04,860 --> 00:23:08,040 I have all this. I can't take it right now. 310 00:23:08,980 --> 00:23:11,580 Stratus is nothing but reassuring. 311 00:23:13,060 --> 00:23:20,020 I'm going to send a full amount of $10 .75 million into that account within 312 00:23:20,020 --> 00:23:21,020 of my arrival. 313 00:23:22,860 --> 00:23:27,700 But she is suspicious and hires Bill Branscombe, a private detective. 314 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:30,280 to investigate Troy Stratus. 315 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:36,300 My job was to take the information available, track the money. 316 00:23:36,740 --> 00:23:41,640 It didn't take long to realize that this was Nicole's money, and you could track 317 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:42,640 where it was going. 318 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:47,300 This was just Troy Stratus blowing through her money like a drunken sailor. 319 00:23:48,180 --> 00:23:53,280 In a little more than a year, he has blown through more than $10 million of 320 00:23:53,280 --> 00:23:54,460 Nicole Murphy's money. 321 00:23:55,000 --> 00:23:59,280 and left the Farley family strapped for cash and emotionally devastated. 322 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:07,360 It's the humiliation of giving your heart and your life, 323 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:12,700 almost literally, because that's what I did. That was my life at that point, to 324 00:24:12,700 --> 00:24:17,840 somebody who just has no regard for it, just throws you away like you're a piece 325 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:18,840 of trash. 326 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:24,580 And Sam and Sherry decide they need to warn others. 327 00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:30,160 Part of the reason I was in the position I was is because he was the richest man 328 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:31,160 that no one had ever heard of. 329 00:24:32,100 --> 00:24:38,760 And so they put together a website named I Met Troy and post their stories. 330 00:24:39,340 --> 00:24:43,900 I started getting contacted from people who had worked for Troy previous to me. 331 00:24:44,580 --> 00:24:48,420 Stories from people from Canada, from Boston. 332 00:24:49,550 --> 00:24:53,750 As news of the website spreads, Stratus disappears. 333 00:24:56,610 --> 00:25:01,610 Up next, Troy Stratus gets his break into French television. 334 00:25:02,170 --> 00:25:06,770 As a con artist. 335 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:25,340 In 2008, Richard Hack has moved to Fort Lauderdale. 336 00:25:25,580 --> 00:25:31,620 The $11 million contract he signed with Troy Stratus four years earlier has gone 337 00:25:31,620 --> 00:25:32,620 nowhere. 338 00:25:33,460 --> 00:25:37,160 And then in April, he gets a call from Stratus. 339 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,000 Come to Cairo for the weekend, he says. 340 00:25:40,220 --> 00:25:44,800 He has scheduled a press conference to announce their film, The Pharaonic 341 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:45,800 Prophecies. 342 00:25:46,300 --> 00:25:49,140 I land in Cairo. I go to the hotel. 343 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,580 And of course, there was nothing. 344 00:25:53,020 --> 00:25:55,940 There was no press conference set up. It was delayed. 345 00:25:57,140 --> 00:26:03,160 But Stratus insists that because he is already there, Hack should scout filming 346 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:04,160 locations. 347 00:26:04,440 --> 00:26:07,100 Soon, the weekend trip becomes a month. 348 00:26:07,700 --> 00:26:10,140 And then Stratus has another idea. 349 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:12,840 Let's go to Dubai. 350 00:26:14,340 --> 00:26:18,000 Turned out to be 30 more days with the same clothes. 351 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,700 In Dubai, looking at locations in Dubai. 352 00:26:23,860 --> 00:26:28,640 The trip to Dubai is one of the last times Hack is with Stratos. 353 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:34,800 Someone he thought he knew for 18 years, but someone he does not know at all. 354 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:40,620 As Hack heads back to the United States, Stratos is on his way to Europe. 355 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,740 He eventually turns up in Paris, but not as Troy Stratos. 356 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:48,520 as someone named David Burton. 357 00:26:49,140 --> 00:26:52,320 And where he turns up is on the evening news. 358 00:26:55,780 --> 00:27:02,620 The reporter describes Stratos as an American scammer who defrauded 359 00:27:02,620 --> 00:27:07,460 this man, Gary Peters, a luxury real estate agent working in France, out of 360 00:27:07,460 --> 00:27:08,640 thousands of dollars. 361 00:27:08,980 --> 00:27:13,740 He alerts police, who discover that Stratos owes his hotel... 362 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:15,300 $40 ,000. 363 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:21,360 And when police search the room of David Burton, they find a passport with the 364 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:23,340 name Troy Stratus. 365 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:28,180 And when they Google that name, Bill Branscombe's reports come up. 366 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,620 Branscombe is invited to Paris to testify. 367 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:36,940 The judge found it persuasive and they put him in LaSante prison, which if you 368 00:27:36,940 --> 00:27:41,680 do five minutes worth of research is widely touted to be the nastiest prison 369 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:42,700 the civilized world. 370 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:49,220 For Richard Hack, the news of the arrest is a total surprise. 371 00:27:50,460 --> 00:27:51,880 I'm thinking, arrested? 372 00:27:52,540 --> 00:27:55,980 And I'm hearing from people that he didn't pay his bills at a hotel. 373 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:01,140 And even then, I figured, how can that be? You know, this guy's independently 374 00:28:01,140 --> 00:28:02,140 wealthy. 375 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,960 And then, Hack receives letters Strato sends from prison. 376 00:28:07,380 --> 00:28:11,460 In one letter, he describes the truth about Troy. 377 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:19,300 He writes, I am a very generous man who has told many lies to many people. I 378 00:28:19,300 --> 00:28:20,300 regret that. 379 00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:25,600 At the same time, stories begin to surface claiming that Troy Stratus stole 380 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:29,920 millions of dollars from Nicole Murphy. And now Richard Hack understands. 381 00:28:30,540 --> 00:28:33,540 It was all a sham, a con. 382 00:28:34,140 --> 00:28:40,840 And it was then that it dawned on me that I was the front man for 383 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:42,020 legitimacy. 384 00:28:44,700 --> 00:28:49,660 Because I wasn't legit, I felt totally betrayed. 385 00:28:49,940 --> 00:28:56,880 I not only believed in him as a director, producer, I believed in him as 386 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:57,880 friend. 387 00:28:58,140 --> 00:29:03,240 Having turned down books and projects with others to work with Stratus, Hack 388 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,440 finds himself forced into bankruptcy. 389 00:29:06,100 --> 00:29:11,940 When that happens, and the shroud is pulled off of the set, and you realize 390 00:29:11,940 --> 00:29:17,200 it's... not real furniture, that it's just cardboard boxes that you're looking 391 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,980 at, you feel very stupid. You feel very dumb. 392 00:29:23,140 --> 00:29:29,240 Next on American Greed, Stratos moves out of prison and into millions. 393 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:35,420 He ultimately gave Troy Stratos the entire $11 .25 million. 394 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:49,480 In 2009, Troy Stratos is released from La Sante prison in Paris after his bail 395 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:50,359 is paid. 396 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:53,800 A judge dismisses his case a year later. 397 00:29:54,580 --> 00:29:58,840 Stratos heads back to the United States, to Southern California. 398 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:02,320 His situation could not be much worse. 399 00:30:02,980 --> 00:30:04,360 He was broke. 400 00:30:05,100 --> 00:30:09,160 He couldn't open a bank account. He couldn't rent an apartment. He couldn't 401 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:10,160 lease a car. 402 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:16,800 Will Nystrom is a Boston attorney who represents Stratus' last victim. 403 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:23,220 At this point, the name Troy Stratus is synonymous with con man. 404 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,160 He was radioactive. 405 00:30:25,820 --> 00:30:31,320 But that does not faze Stratus. All he needs is a new identity. 406 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:38,000 He starts using the name Ken Dennis and says he is a representative of the 407 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,600 Mexican businessman Carlos Slim. 408 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:43,940 At the time, one of the richest men in the world. 409 00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:46,060 A brilliant choice. 410 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,520 It indicated that there was unlimited wealth behind Mr. Stratos and that could 411 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:53,200 open doors for him that might otherwise exist. 412 00:30:54,300 --> 00:30:59,880 It's not long before the victim named Tim Burns falls into his lap. 413 00:31:01,060 --> 00:31:04,880 Tim Burns was an investment advisor in Philadelphia. 414 00:31:05,580 --> 00:31:07,220 who was just cutting his teeth. 415 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:11,420 At the time, Facebook is planning to go public. 416 00:31:12,540 --> 00:31:18,380 Facebook filed the necessary paperwork to sell shares on the stock market. And 417 00:31:18,380 --> 00:31:24,960 Burns has 50 investors who have pooled $13 million to buy Facebook shares 418 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:28,000 the IPO, if he can get his hands on some. 419 00:31:28,540 --> 00:31:31,780 And along comes a guy named Ken Dennis. 420 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:37,440 who says his boss, Carlos Slim, has extra shares of Facebook stock. 421 00:31:37,700 --> 00:31:44,040 He also claims in a phone conversation recorded by Burns to have an inside 422 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,160 with Facebook's famous founder. 423 00:31:49,380 --> 00:31:56,100 And Burns does take 424 00:31:56,100 --> 00:31:57,079 the ride. 425 00:31:57,080 --> 00:32:00,900 He agrees to buy two million shares of Facebook stock. 426 00:32:01,470 --> 00:32:07,570 and wires $2 .8 million to Ken Dennis, a .k .a. Troy Stratus. 427 00:32:08,830 --> 00:32:14,490 What Stratus does not know is that Tim Burns is a perfect victim because Burns 428 00:32:14,490 --> 00:32:15,730 has a secret. 429 00:32:17,530 --> 00:32:21,410 Tim Burns is in a difficult position himself. He's in a desperate situation. 430 00:32:21,670 --> 00:32:23,770 He had been embezzling money from his clients. 431 00:32:24,010 --> 00:32:27,470 He needed to repay this money, and he also wanted to make money for himself. 432 00:32:28,330 --> 00:32:34,090 And that is why it is easy for Stratos to continually up the ante to promise 433 00:32:34,090 --> 00:32:38,250 Burns more shares and demand more money. 434 00:32:38,710 --> 00:32:45,270 He bit so hard on this story. He literally threw the handle 435 00:32:45,270 --> 00:32:51,610 after the ax and ultimately gave Ken Dennis, Troy Stratos, 436 00:32:51,710 --> 00:32:53,770 the entire $11 .25 million. 437 00:32:56,620 --> 00:33:02,040 And that money is slipping through Troy Stratos' hands and disappearing into 438 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:08,760 gambling losses in Las Vegas, plastic surgery for Stratos, five new cars, and 439 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:10,200 some very nice clothes. 440 00:33:10,820 --> 00:33:17,760 By the time that Troy Stratos had conned Tim Burns, he was spending, on 441 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,020 average, $1 million a month. 442 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:25,220 Not bad for a guy who was completely broke less than a year ago. 443 00:33:28,180 --> 00:33:33,120 Meanwhile, private detective Bill Branscombe is semi -retired, living on 444 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:34,560 family farm in Kentucky. 445 00:33:35,460 --> 00:33:40,880 His investigation of Troy Stratus is a distant memory when he gets a call. 446 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,000 You know who this is? No, of course I have no idea who this is. 447 00:33:44,220 --> 00:33:47,320 He says, well, you're not going to believe this, but this is Troy Stratus. 448 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:49,460 I said, okay. 449 00:33:50,620 --> 00:33:55,740 Stratus tells Branscombe he is a changed man, now working in advertising. 450 00:33:56,430 --> 00:34:01,630 and needs Branscombe's help locating his former victims in order to make things 451 00:34:01,630 --> 00:34:02,630 right. 452 00:34:02,910 --> 00:34:06,690 He flies Branscombe to Las Vegas in a private jet. 453 00:34:07,710 --> 00:34:13,230 And then this seasoned private detective who knows full well what Stratos has 454 00:34:13,230 --> 00:34:18,409 done in the past buys the Master Khan's new story that he is producing 455 00:34:18,409 --> 00:34:20,489 commercials for the Super Bowl. 456 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:25,440 I had no trouble believing that these commercials were bound for the Super 457 00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:26,480 They were that good. 458 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:33,120 Stratos is selling the same story to all of his victims, saying he has found new 459 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:38,040 success and will pay them what he owes if they agree to take down any negative 460 00:34:38,040 --> 00:34:40,460 information about him on the Internet. 461 00:34:42,280 --> 00:34:45,860 That was a tough decision, because on the one hand, I needed the money 462 00:34:45,860 --> 00:34:49,440 desperately, but I wanted the world to know about Troy. 463 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:55,940 In the end, the public information on Stratos is removed, and his victims are 464 00:34:55,940 --> 00:34:59,660 paid back with the money from Tim Burns' clients. 465 00:35:00,700 --> 00:35:03,520 But that does not solve Stratos' problems. 466 00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:11,640 On December 20th, Stratos is in his condo outside of L .A. 467 00:35:12,100 --> 00:35:13,860 There is a knock at the door. 468 00:35:16,060 --> 00:35:17,180 It's the FBI. 469 00:35:17,870 --> 00:35:22,270 with a warning for his arrest on charges of fraud against Nicole Murphy. 470 00:35:23,490 --> 00:35:28,330 The FBI team in Los Angeles went out to his place in the early morning, 471 00:35:28,510 --> 00:35:34,290 and he didn't answer the door. He was hiding in his bathroom. 472 00:35:35,470 --> 00:35:40,350 I get this call from Troy Stratus, who is in hysterics. 473 00:35:40,950 --> 00:35:43,650 He was calling me from his bathroom. 474 00:35:45,130 --> 00:35:49,610 And it's like the FBI is banging on my door. What do I do? 475 00:35:50,290 --> 00:35:54,110 And I'm like, answer the damn door before they break it. And hung up. 476 00:35:54,910 --> 00:35:57,610 The FBI does break down the door. 477 00:35:57,930 --> 00:36:01,190 And Stratos is arrested and taken to jail. 478 00:36:03,470 --> 00:36:09,870 And in Philadelphia, Tim Burns cannot understand why Ken Dennis is not 479 00:36:09,870 --> 00:36:11,150 answering his phone. 480 00:36:13,870 --> 00:36:19,090 Up next, a surprise defender for Troy Stratos shows up in court. 481 00:36:20,190 --> 00:36:23,790 I trusted him, and he did a lot for me. He did a lot for others. 482 00:36:35,030 --> 00:36:40,750 For several days in December 2011, Tim Burns has been desperately trying to 483 00:36:40,750 --> 00:36:42,930 reach the man he knows as Ken Dennis. 484 00:36:43,660 --> 00:36:47,560 who has not responded to his calls, texts, or emails. 485 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:54,360 And finally, a text comes in from Ken Dennis' phone apologizing for the 486 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:55,480 communication break. 487 00:36:56,160 --> 00:37:01,300 It says that he was in a remote location with difficult cell service. 488 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:03,940 Remote indeed. 489 00:37:04,380 --> 00:37:10,120 Ken Dennis, who is really Troy Stratus, is actually sitting in a cell at the 490 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:11,680 Sacramento County Jail. 491 00:37:12,300 --> 00:37:18,300 He has convinced a friend to send Burns text messages assuring him that all is 492 00:37:18,300 --> 00:37:24,940 well. And you kind of get a sense of a window into Troy Stratus' soul here. 493 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:30,360 He is in prison, but he is literally keeping up the calm. 494 00:37:31,660 --> 00:37:37,600 Eventually, Burns does some digging and Stratus' name comes up. He goes to the 495 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,880 FBI looking for some answers. 496 00:37:40,970 --> 00:37:45,470 Tim told us that he didn't know Troy Stratos and never met Troy Stratos, but 497 00:37:45,470 --> 00:37:48,630 thinks that Troy Stratos may have had something to do with a Facebook stock 498 00:37:48,630 --> 00:37:50,410 transaction he was trying to complete. 499 00:37:52,290 --> 00:37:56,570 At that point, Tim Burns learned some very bad news. 500 00:37:57,410 --> 00:38:02,030 He has given $11 .25 million to a known con artist. 501 00:38:02,970 --> 00:38:08,470 And that means he is forced to admit his own improper use of his client's money. 502 00:38:09,490 --> 00:38:14,830 Burns later pleads guilty to charges of mail and wire fraud and is sentenced to 503 00:38:14,830 --> 00:38:16,290 five years in prison. 504 00:38:17,270 --> 00:38:19,990 And the list of counts against Stratos grows. 505 00:38:21,030 --> 00:38:23,050 But he has an unlikely defender. 506 00:38:23,670 --> 00:38:29,230 At a hearing to determine if he can be released from jail, Vivi True, who 507 00:38:29,230 --> 00:38:33,730 him $10 million, takes the stand to vouch for him. 508 00:38:34,590 --> 00:38:37,650 I loaned Troy the money because... 509 00:38:38,190 --> 00:38:41,410 I trusted him, and he did a lot for me. He did a lot for others. 510 00:38:42,710 --> 00:38:47,970 It is so common for victims to stick by their con artists, especially in the 511 00:38:47,970 --> 00:38:49,670 case of a sweetheart scam like this one. 512 00:38:49,970 --> 00:38:55,110 You'd go through all of these hoops to say that, no, this is in fact not a con 513 00:38:55,110 --> 00:38:58,890 artist, and really it wasn't so bad, because then you're not really a victim. 514 00:39:00,350 --> 00:39:02,650 In an email to American Greed... 515 00:39:02,890 --> 00:39:08,090 Stratus writes that the stories his victims tell are so far -fetched that 516 00:39:08,090 --> 00:39:09,390 approach science fiction. 517 00:39:10,730 --> 00:39:16,590 But a jury disagrees and finds him guilty on all counts in the Facebook 518 00:39:16,590 --> 00:39:17,590 fraud. 519 00:39:17,790 --> 00:39:21,730 Shortly after, he pleads guilty to the Nicole Murphy fraud. 520 00:39:22,370 --> 00:39:26,890 He is sentenced to 21 years, 10 months in prison. 521 00:39:28,310 --> 00:39:29,970 Sam Farley is there. 522 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:37,140 I got to see him in his prison jumpsuit, and I never felt 523 00:39:37,140 --> 00:39:43,880 closure until that moment when I saw him get up and walk back into his 524 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:44,880 prison cell. 525 00:39:45,460 --> 00:39:50,680 For Nicole Murphy, watching Stratos in the courtroom is infuriating. 526 00:39:51,740 --> 00:39:54,060 If I could have jumped over there and choked him. 527 00:39:54,350 --> 00:39:55,350 Out of him I would. 528 00:39:55,530 --> 00:40:01,930 Trust me. I say if I was a dude and I had access to him, trust me, it would be 529 00:40:01,930 --> 00:40:03,810 on. I'd just see through him. 530 00:40:04,930 --> 00:40:08,590 For Richard Hack, the emotion is not anger. 531 00:40:09,510 --> 00:40:12,590 No, I was never furious. I was so disappointed. 532 00:40:14,290 --> 00:40:17,850 I was on the verge of being despondent. 533 00:40:18,210 --> 00:40:21,670 But he still holds the dream that he thought Straddle shared. 534 00:40:22,570 --> 00:40:25,230 A returning romance to Hollywood. 535 00:40:25,910 --> 00:40:30,670 One day, we'll get those projects made, I think. 536 00:40:31,310 --> 00:40:37,350 But that friendship will never be restored because it wasn't there to 537 00:40:37,350 --> 00:40:44,210 with. It was all an illusion that you believe so sincerely that 538 00:40:44,210 --> 00:40:46,590 nobody can convince you otherwise. 539 00:40:48,370 --> 00:40:53,930 Looking back now, his victims struggle to make sense of what Troy Stratus did 540 00:40:53,930 --> 00:40:54,930 them. 541 00:40:54,990 --> 00:40:57,650 I don't think other people are real to Troy. 542 00:40:58,010 --> 00:41:03,050 I think they're like extras in the film of his life. 543 00:41:03,330 --> 00:41:07,930 And he's the only real character, so what happens to him is important, and 544 00:41:07,930 --> 00:41:12,350 everybody else is sort of inconsequential. They just don't matter 545 00:41:14,130 --> 00:41:17,270 I think what he got, actually, was to feel important. 546 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:23,680 The child that was thrown in the barn was important now. People respected him. 547 00:41:23,720 --> 00:41:29,080 He got some respect that he never had growing up. That's the only thing I can 548 00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:30,080 think of. 549 00:41:30,260 --> 00:41:33,340 But others say that gives him too much credit. 550 00:41:34,020 --> 00:41:38,080 Most likely, what a schemer like Stratos craves is power. 551 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:45,600 It's all about knowing that you have power over other people, over their 552 00:41:45,780 --> 00:41:46,940 over their realities. 553 00:41:47,550 --> 00:41:49,110 It's kind of like you're playing God. 554 00:41:49,430 --> 00:41:53,750 Really, you are directing the course of someone else's life. They trust you, 555 00:41:53,770 --> 00:41:57,710 they believe you, and you know that you are the one pulling the strings. 556 00:41:58,450 --> 00:42:04,250 And as for his life in jail, reports say that Stratos was receiving threats for 557 00:42:04,250 --> 00:42:07,850 scamming his fellow inmates and not paying gambling debts. 558 00:42:08,490 --> 00:42:13,610 Perhaps Troy Stratos is a con who can't stop conning. 559 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:20,080 On the next American Greed, Rameel Robinson, money, back, and the big tie. 560 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:25,260 This basketball superstar takes a fall and scams his mother on the way down. 561 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:27,100 American Greed, next. 562 00:42:27,460 --> 00:42:29,040 CNBC, get yours. 563 00:42:29,520 --> 00:42:33,480 The early bird gets the worm. And the corner office, too.