Previously on Pretend Radio, we learned how Art Schlichter’s gambling habits destroyed Anita Barney life. She went from being the wealthy widow of a Wendy’s CEO to becoming broke and struggling to pay her light bill.
It started out with a loan for $10,000. Art Schlichter said he needed the money to buy a car.
Anita: “He just met me and he’s asking me for money. I was totally surprised but I didn’t know what to say. I said yes.”
That was just the first loan. Slowly, he would borrow away her entire fortune. Why did Anita Barney allow this to happen? Why didn’t she just say no?
Anita: “I just needed my money back. I couldn’t let my family know what had happened. And that’s what kept me going. It’s gotta end. He’s saying it's going to end.”
But it’s never going to end. In fact, it’s only going to get worse. After Art Schlichter emptied her bank accounts, she turned to her friends and neighbors for money. Under Art’s instructions, Anita would cold call friends, some who she lost contact with, and asked if they were interested in an investment opportunity. She asked if she could borrow some money and promised to repay the loan with a 10% interest. As far as they know, she’s still a millionaire. It seemed like a safe bet. Little did they know that Art Schlichter would bet away their life saving in a matter of days.
And that was just the first scam.
In part two of The Gambler, we’re going to talk about how Anita went from being Art Schlichter’s victim to his accomplice.
You can find Anita Barney's memoir titled "Quarterback Sneak: Exposing the Criminal Game Plan of Art Schlichter" on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Quarterback-Sneak-Exposing-Criminal-Schlichter/dp/0692582398
