1 00:00:03,413 --> 00:00:05,815 (Remy Ma) On this episode of 'My True Crime Story...' 2 00:00:05,815 --> 00:00:10,553 (Matthew) I'd never been this good at anything in my life. 3 00:00:10,553 --> 00:00:14,857 I knew these loans were illegal and I was okay with it. 4 00:00:15,391 --> 00:00:16,759 Things got excessive. 5 00:00:17,727 --> 00:00:18,861 I felt invincible. 6 00:00:19,962 --> 00:00:23,699 This is a cautionary tale about how a dyslexic kid from Tampa, 7 00:00:23,699 --> 00:00:26,335 who was just trying to gain his father's love. 8 00:00:26,335 --> 00:00:27,970 (Matthew) My father was judgmental, 9 00:00:27,970 --> 00:00:30,940 I was not the son that he wanted. 10 00:00:31,374 --> 00:00:34,410 Ended up scamming the biggest banks out of their money 11 00:00:34,410 --> 00:00:38,748 in 5 different states to the tune of $11.5 million dollars. 12 00:00:39,816 --> 00:00:42,552 (Matthew) I knew I could create fictitious people. 13 00:00:42,552 --> 00:00:44,387 (Alison) He's definitely a mastermind. 14 00:00:44,387 --> 00:00:47,824 Everything that he would do to close these transactions 15 00:00:47,824 --> 00:00:49,325 is just mind blowing. 16 00:00:50,393 --> 00:00:52,728 And became one of America's most wanted. 17 00:00:52,728 --> 00:00:55,465 (Matthew) I'm standing there where all the wanted posters are 18 00:00:55,465 --> 00:00:57,400 and I'm staring right at myself. 19 00:00:57,400 --> 00:00:59,569 So we decide to get plastic surgery. 20 00:01:00,703 --> 00:01:03,406 And nobody's ever gonna recognize me. 21 00:01:04,841 --> 00:01:07,343 Until the miles he accumulated on the run, 22 00:01:07,343 --> 00:01:09,345 eventually emptied his tank. 23 00:01:09,345 --> 00:01:11,314 (Matthew) And all of a sudden I hear him screaming... 24 00:01:11,314 --> 00:01:13,149 "He's right here! He's right here!" 25 00:01:13,516 --> 00:01:16,085 I punch it and I shoot into traffic. 26 00:01:16,085 --> 00:01:17,420 And I shoot down the road. 27 00:01:17,420 --> 00:01:21,224 ♪ I'm the one chosen, I'm the one destined ♪ 28 00:01:21,224 --> 00:01:23,292 How far would you go to come-up 29 00:01:23,292 --> 00:01:25,528 within a system built to hold you down? 30 00:01:25,528 --> 00:01:28,164 ♪ It's time to push it up a level high ♪ 31 00:01:29,599 --> 00:01:32,668 These are the true stories of real people 32 00:01:32,668 --> 00:01:36,272 who had good intentions but got caught up by bad decisions. 33 00:01:40,009 --> 00:01:42,845 It's a wild ride: from all the way up 34 00:01:42,845 --> 00:01:45,915 to all the way down, and back around again. 35 00:01:45,915 --> 00:01:50,019 I'm Remy Ma and I am proof that even a wrong turn 36 00:01:50,019 --> 00:01:52,188 can still lead to redemption. 37 00:01:52,188 --> 00:01:55,224 This is: 'My True Crime Story.' 38 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:01,531 In the 1970's, Tampa Florida was the land of opportunity for 39 00:02:01,531 --> 00:02:04,000 those who already had a little somethin' to start with. 40 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,069 And in the suburbs like Temple Terrace where Matthew Cox 41 00:02:07,069 --> 00:02:10,706 grew up, it was that "Brady Bunch" life aspiration... 42 00:02:10,706 --> 00:02:13,376 A clean, safe place to raise your kids 43 00:02:13,376 --> 00:02:15,945 with metaphorical white picket fences. 44 00:02:15,945 --> 00:02:19,415 But also the kind of place that looks one way to the eye 45 00:02:19,415 --> 00:02:22,318 but so much more was going on underneath the surface... 46 00:02:22,318 --> 00:02:24,620 Just look at the Cox household... 47 00:02:25,655 --> 00:02:27,423 (Matthew) I grew up in an all-American 48 00:02:27,423 --> 00:02:28,691 dysfunctional family. 49 00:02:29,592 --> 00:02:31,661 My mother was a strict catholic 50 00:02:32,094 --> 00:02:36,299 my father was a manager with a large insurance company. 51 00:02:36,599 --> 00:02:37,934 He was a great salesman... 52 00:02:37,934 --> 00:02:39,268 He made a lot of money. 53 00:02:39,268 --> 00:02:42,438 But he was a harsh person. 54 00:02:42,438 --> 00:02:46,876 He had an alcohol problem, my entire family, 55 00:02:48,344 --> 00:02:51,547 revolved around my father and his behavior. 56 00:02:53,115 --> 00:02:54,550 (Matthew) My father was judgmental. 57 00:02:54,550 --> 00:02:56,152 I had never felt good enough around him. 58 00:02:56,152 --> 00:03:00,556 I was not particularly tall, I wasn't particularly athletic. 59 00:03:00,556 --> 00:03:01,857 I mean... 60 00:03:02,358 --> 00:03:04,660 I made an effort, I, I definitely, I played soccer 61 00:03:04,660 --> 00:03:07,196 but I got tired of my father showing up drunk 62 00:03:07,196 --> 00:03:08,798 at my soccer games. 63 00:03:09,999 --> 00:03:13,536 It was, it was humiliating so I stopped playing soccer. 64 00:03:14,070 --> 00:03:16,672 I was not excelling in school. 65 00:03:17,673 --> 00:03:20,276 I always felt that I was disappointing him. 66 00:03:21,077 --> 00:03:22,545 I failed the second grade. 67 00:03:23,713 --> 00:03:25,848 I wasn't grasping, you know, reading or writing 68 00:03:25,848 --> 00:03:27,283 was a major issue for me. 69 00:03:27,283 --> 00:03:32,321 And so, they found out I had dyslexia, a learning disability 70 00:03:33,389 --> 00:03:36,258 (Matthew) I felt embarrassed, and I was ashamed 71 00:03:36,258 --> 00:03:38,928 that I wasn't living up to his expectations. 72 00:03:39,595 --> 00:03:41,664 I wanted my father to be proud of me. 73 00:03:42,264 --> 00:03:43,899 Matt's girlfriend, Jessica, 74 00:03:43,899 --> 00:03:47,303 recalls just how complicated their relationship was. 75 00:03:48,337 --> 00:03:50,873 His father did tell him that 76 00:03:50,873 --> 00:03:54,243 you're never going to be anybody because he didn't read. 77 00:03:54,777 --> 00:03:57,179 That was a defining moment for Matt I think. 78 00:03:57,580 --> 00:04:01,283 Matt was trying to win his father's approval 79 00:04:02,018 --> 00:04:05,588 and his father was just a very hard individual. 80 00:04:06,122 --> 00:04:09,258 And even though Matt overcame the odds and ended up graduating 81 00:04:09,258 --> 00:04:12,995 from college with a fine arts degree, by his early 20's Matt was 82 00:04:12,995 --> 00:04:16,032 back to being a disappointment to his father. 83 00:04:16,699 --> 00:04:19,268 (Matthew) I worked construction because I couldn't get a job, 84 00:04:19,268 --> 00:04:20,670 I was barely paying my bills. 85 00:04:20,970 --> 00:04:23,039 I just didn't see me getting anywhere. 86 00:04:23,673 --> 00:04:25,274 And pause. 87 00:04:25,274 --> 00:04:27,176 Cause what Matthew doesn't know 88 00:04:27,176 --> 00:04:31,347 is that soon he will become a multi-millionaire fraudster, 89 00:04:31,347 --> 00:04:33,449 with his face will be plastered on 90 00:04:33,449 --> 00:04:36,352 most wanted posters across the country. 91 00:04:36,352 --> 00:04:39,722 But right now, he's just trying to keep any job. 92 00:04:40,623 --> 00:04:42,391 (Matthew) I just didn't see me getting anywhere 93 00:04:42,391 --> 00:04:45,494 working construction. I had to try something. 94 00:04:45,494 --> 00:04:47,930 I was living with a, a girl at the time. 95 00:04:47,930 --> 00:04:53,669 And she was working as a mortgage broker, 96 00:04:53,669 --> 00:04:57,273 one day she said, listen, you were born for this. 97 00:04:57,273 --> 00:04:59,575 You should be doing something in sales. 98 00:04:59,575 --> 00:05:01,210 And I was like, are you serious? 99 00:05:01,210 --> 00:05:02,478 All that paperwork? 100 00:05:02,478 --> 00:05:04,280 And she said, no, it's all automated. 101 00:05:05,347 --> 00:05:08,551 You just have to get customers, and get them qualified, 102 00:05:08,551 --> 00:05:10,386 that's all you have to do, it's perfect. 103 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,222 With his dyslexia, processing paperwork 104 00:05:13,222 --> 00:05:14,557 wasn't Matthew's thing, 105 00:05:14,557 --> 00:05:18,260 but like his salesman dad, dealing with people was. 106 00:05:18,661 --> 00:05:20,463 (Matthew) I got licensed in the state of Florida. 107 00:05:21,030 --> 00:05:23,532 Matt was on his official come up and his charm 108 00:05:23,532 --> 00:05:26,569 easily landed him his first client. 109 00:05:26,569 --> 00:05:29,905 (Matthew) I remember walking into my manager's office, 110 00:05:30,506 --> 00:05:32,508 placing the file on her desk, 111 00:05:34,143 --> 00:05:37,947 she looked through the entire file, page by page 112 00:05:38,681 --> 00:05:41,684 and I remember she put one page to the side... 113 00:05:42,351 --> 00:05:44,086 And I kept looking at the one piece 114 00:05:44,420 --> 00:05:46,122 and I said, what's up with that? 115 00:05:46,122 --> 00:05:50,993 And she said, your borrower was 30 days late on her rent 116 00:05:50,993 --> 00:05:53,629 in the last 24 months and that's a deal killer. 117 00:05:53,629 --> 00:05:55,131 That loans not gonna close. 118 00:05:55,998 --> 00:05:59,502 Because getting a loan is all about how you look on paper. 119 00:05:59,502 --> 00:06:01,504 So much for that first client... 120 00:06:01,771 --> 00:06:02,972 or is it? 121 00:06:02,972 --> 00:06:04,273 I said, what do I do? 122 00:06:04,273 --> 00:06:06,008 And she pulled out a white out, 123 00:06:06,008 --> 00:06:08,277 and she hand it to me and she goes, white it out, 124 00:06:08,277 --> 00:06:11,547 make a copy of the document, stick it back in the file, 125 00:06:11,547 --> 00:06:13,649 it'll close, there shouldn't be any problems. 126 00:06:13,649 --> 00:06:16,152 Wow... white out? That's it? 127 00:06:16,152 --> 00:06:19,655 Doesn't happen like this for borrowers with more melanin.... 128 00:06:20,523 --> 00:06:22,024 (Matthew) She goes, worse that happens 129 00:06:22,024 --> 00:06:25,761 is underwriting might catch it and the loan won't close. 130 00:06:28,297 --> 00:06:30,499 I was concerned, I was nervous, like, 131 00:06:30,499 --> 00:06:32,835 I wasn't someone who broke the law, but 132 00:06:32,835 --> 00:06:35,704 she was my manager, I trusted her, so I did what she said. 133 00:06:35,704 --> 00:06:37,473 and you have to keep in mind, 134 00:06:37,473 --> 00:06:40,009 I'm a couple of months behind on my car payment. 135 00:06:40,009 --> 00:06:42,278 I'm-- my credit cards are getting shut off. 136 00:06:42,278 --> 00:06:43,979 I mean, I'm having issues... 137 00:06:43,979 --> 00:06:45,247 so I did it. 138 00:06:45,247 --> 00:06:46,615 Bill collectors callin' 139 00:06:46,615 --> 00:06:49,051 can definitely trigger criminal minded behavior. 140 00:06:50,452 --> 00:06:51,821 (Matthew) Couple of days later it closed, 141 00:06:51,821 --> 00:06:53,823 I got a check for 3,500 dollars. 142 00:06:54,723 --> 00:06:57,059 3,500 dollars! That was a ton of money. 143 00:06:57,526 --> 00:07:00,296 For a little white out lie? Easy money. 144 00:07:00,296 --> 00:07:03,165 Something clicked that said this was the way to go. 145 00:07:03,599 --> 00:07:06,302 I became emboldened by it. 146 00:07:06,936 --> 00:07:10,105 I whited out one thing, they didn't catch it. 147 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,809 So, the next person that walked in the door, 148 00:07:13,809 --> 00:07:15,778 they got an issue, I take care of it. 149 00:07:16,212 --> 00:07:17,446 I was gonna get you a loan. 150 00:07:17,746 --> 00:07:19,481 The loan commissions were adding up. 151 00:07:19,481 --> 00:07:21,750 And soon, Matthew decided to go solo 152 00:07:21,750 --> 00:07:23,619 and set up his own shop. 153 00:07:24,086 --> 00:07:26,021 So when I opened up my own mortgage company 154 00:07:26,021 --> 00:07:27,690 there was even more pressure on me 155 00:07:27,923 --> 00:07:29,725 to make sure the loans closed. 156 00:07:31,227 --> 00:07:33,062 To get the loans to go through... 157 00:07:33,062 --> 00:07:36,332 I figured out what the proper numbers should be. 158 00:07:36,832 --> 00:07:38,901 And once Matt figured out how much money 159 00:07:38,901 --> 00:07:40,769 you needed to qualify for the loan, 160 00:07:40,769 --> 00:07:43,973 to expedite the process it was out with the white out 161 00:07:43,973 --> 00:07:47,176 and onto creating fully falsified originals. 162 00:07:48,510 --> 00:07:51,013 (Matthew) Now I'm making fake W2s. 163 00:07:51,580 --> 00:07:53,749 I'm verifying people's employment. 164 00:07:54,984 --> 00:07:59,088 Sometimes I would make fake bank statements. 165 00:07:59,655 --> 00:08:01,790 All of the things that I was doing 166 00:08:01,790 --> 00:08:06,061 in order to get the loans for these borrowers was illegal. 167 00:08:06,896 --> 00:08:09,398 If I'm saying you work somewhere, where you don't work 168 00:08:09,398 --> 00:08:12,601 and I'm providing w2s and pay stubs that are fraudulent, 169 00:08:12,601 --> 00:08:14,103 that's fraud. 170 00:08:14,103 --> 00:08:17,539 If I'm verifying that you have money in your bank account that 171 00:08:17,539 --> 00:08:21,110 you don't actually have, and I'm providing fake bank statements, 172 00:08:21,110 --> 00:08:22,278 that's fraud. 173 00:08:23,078 --> 00:08:26,649 After working there a month, his office assistant, Alison, 174 00:08:26,649 --> 00:08:28,150 started to notice things... 175 00:08:28,450 --> 00:08:29,885 (Alison) Working with Matt, 176 00:08:29,885 --> 00:08:33,122 he always had information immediately. 177 00:08:33,756 --> 00:08:36,725 He'd have perfect files each and every time. 178 00:08:36,725 --> 00:08:38,160 Of course he did. 179 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:39,728 (Matthew) It's just across the spectrum 180 00:08:39,728 --> 00:08:41,297 I would do whatever had to do 181 00:08:41,297 --> 00:08:43,565 for my borrowers to get the loan. 182 00:08:44,233 --> 00:08:46,268 If they get the loan, I get a commission. 183 00:08:46,735 --> 00:08:50,472 I actually started a property management company 184 00:08:50,472 --> 00:08:54,310 specifically so that I could verify people's rental history. 185 00:08:54,777 --> 00:08:57,813 Damn Matt doing everything but making up the people. 186 00:08:57,813 --> 00:09:00,416 But wait, don't worry, he'll start doing that soon enough. 187 00:09:00,916 --> 00:09:02,751 Within a year of opening my own place, 188 00:09:02,751 --> 00:09:04,787 I've got 12 guys working for me. 189 00:09:04,787 --> 00:09:07,122 (Alison) Matt could talk you into anything for sure. 190 00:09:07,122 --> 00:09:09,658 Everybody loved him. He was a charmer. 191 00:09:09,658 --> 00:09:12,127 He charmed everybody that he worked with, 192 00:09:12,127 --> 00:09:17,766 whether you were a realtor or mortgage person or politician. 193 00:09:17,766 --> 00:09:20,402 It was like, whatever he touches turns to gold. 194 00:09:20,402 --> 00:09:22,972 (Matthew) I was getting positive feedback from, from everyone. 195 00:09:23,238 --> 00:09:24,707 That was my goal. 196 00:09:24,707 --> 00:09:27,309 I wanted my father to think that I was successful. 197 00:09:27,977 --> 00:09:31,880 You know, that was what I, I pushed for and what I wanted. 198 00:09:32,481 --> 00:09:33,949 Things got excessive. 199 00:09:34,283 --> 00:09:36,585 It got to the point where if you walked into 200 00:09:36,585 --> 00:09:38,620 that mortgage company and you had a pulse, 201 00:09:38,620 --> 00:09:39,989 I was getting you a loan. 202 00:09:40,622 --> 00:09:43,025 And we would get a commission check. 203 00:09:43,926 --> 00:09:45,928 (Alison) The higher the volume, the more clients, 204 00:09:45,928 --> 00:09:47,997 the more loans that are closing per month. 205 00:09:47,997 --> 00:09:51,000 It raises how much income they're producing. 206 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,004 And with all the money everyone was making including the banks, 207 00:09:55,004 --> 00:09:57,873 Matt had pretty much nothing to worry about... 208 00:09:58,173 --> 00:09:59,441 I felt invincible. 209 00:09:59,441 --> 00:10:02,911 I was making a living that I never really thought 210 00:10:02,911 --> 00:10:04,313 I was gonna be able to make. 211 00:10:04,313 --> 00:10:07,616 And I was excelling at it, I was exceptionally good at it. 212 00:10:08,450 --> 00:10:13,222 I'd never been this good at anything in my life. 213 00:10:14,623 --> 00:10:17,793 (Jessica) He thought like, that's how I impress my father. 214 00:10:18,327 --> 00:10:21,597 I need to make money and I need to drive nice cars. 215 00:10:21,597 --> 00:10:23,365 This is how I win my father's love. 216 00:10:23,766 --> 00:10:25,300 (Matthew) My father was finally proud of me, 217 00:10:25,801 --> 00:10:27,669 I was making great money. 218 00:10:27,669 --> 00:10:28,837 I worked for myself, 219 00:10:29,204 --> 00:10:31,807 at 30 years old, I bought a house that was 220 00:10:31,807 --> 00:10:33,442 a mile away from his house. 221 00:10:34,009 --> 00:10:37,713 Everything was coming together, never mind how... 222 00:10:37,713 --> 00:10:39,548 (Matthew) I was probably making between 223 00:10:39,548 --> 00:10:42,384 a 150 to 200,000 a year at that time 224 00:10:42,384 --> 00:10:43,719 for a couple of years. 225 00:10:43,719 --> 00:10:47,489 But that's, what, 20 years ago and in Florida. 226 00:10:47,489 --> 00:10:48,690 That's a lot of money. 227 00:10:49,158 --> 00:10:51,260 After a few years of successfully 228 00:10:51,260 --> 00:10:54,596 running his company, Matt got an unexpected call 229 00:10:54,596 --> 00:10:55,898 from some clients. 230 00:10:56,532 --> 00:11:00,035 So this couple, I had just refinanced their house 231 00:11:00,035 --> 00:11:04,940 using fake W-2s and pay stubs that they'd provided me. 232 00:11:06,442 --> 00:11:10,646 They invited me to have lunch at a pizza place. 233 00:11:11,313 --> 00:11:14,083 I wasn't concerned we were friends. 234 00:11:14,450 --> 00:11:16,018 Seems innocent enough... 235 00:11:16,018 --> 00:11:17,886 (Matthew) And they start asking me 236 00:11:17,886 --> 00:11:21,790 very specific questions about... fraud. 237 00:11:21,790 --> 00:11:24,827 But that doesn't-- Red flags flying yet? 238 00:11:24,827 --> 00:11:25,994 (Matthew) They basically said, 239 00:11:25,994 --> 00:11:28,464 "the FBI is asking us questions about you." 240 00:11:29,064 --> 00:11:31,266 "Oh my god." "You didn't tell 'em this?" 241 00:11:31,266 --> 00:11:33,068 "You didn't tell 'em the W-2s were fake?" 242 00:11:34,269 --> 00:11:35,871 I'm in the middle of the conversation, 243 00:11:36,438 --> 00:11:40,209 I notice that there's a guy sitting at the table next to us 244 00:11:40,209 --> 00:11:42,211 something's not right with this guy... 245 00:11:42,778 --> 00:11:46,081 And at that moment I realize, they're wired. 246 00:11:51,177 --> 00:11:52,712 (Remy Ma) Matthew Cox has been living the high life. 247 00:11:52,712 --> 00:11:54,914 Cashing in commissions from his mortgage company 248 00:11:54,914 --> 00:11:58,017 by forging the paperwork, but no one seems the wiser. 249 00:11:59,318 --> 00:12:02,989 Until one day when two of his clients start fishin'.... 250 00:12:04,223 --> 00:12:06,726 (Matthew) They basically said, "you know the FBI is asking us 251 00:12:06,726 --> 00:12:08,428 questions about you. 252 00:12:08,428 --> 00:12:09,896 What do you want us to tell them?" 253 00:12:11,764 --> 00:12:15,635 They kept looking around, which I thought was weird. 254 00:12:16,536 --> 00:12:20,239 And so I asked them... are you wired? 255 00:12:21,507 --> 00:12:22,708 And you know... 256 00:12:24,277 --> 00:12:25,745 they admit they're wired. 257 00:12:25,745 --> 00:12:30,583 I realize that that was the FBI agent actually sitting there, 258 00:12:30,583 --> 00:12:32,618 while I was implicating myself. 259 00:12:33,719 --> 00:12:35,822 I knew I was done, right then I knew. 260 00:12:36,489 --> 00:12:38,024 Yeah, you're done. 261 00:12:38,024 --> 00:12:40,593 But he was able to walk out of the restaurant so that meant... 262 00:12:40,593 --> 00:12:42,128 the feds were still building a case. 263 00:12:42,128 --> 00:12:43,763 (Matthew) I was burning up inside. 264 00:12:43,763 --> 00:12:45,765 I was nervous and sick to my stomach and 265 00:12:45,765 --> 00:12:49,068 all of my feelings of being untouchable 266 00:12:49,068 --> 00:12:52,438 and being bulletproof just completely went out the window. 267 00:12:53,072 --> 00:12:55,174 I drove straight to the ofice. 268 00:12:55,174 --> 00:12:59,078 I contacted several criminal defense attorneys, I picked one. 269 00:12:59,445 --> 00:13:01,247 Gave him $75,000 270 00:13:01,247 --> 00:13:04,884 and he talked to the FBI and arranged for me to 271 00:13:04,884 --> 00:13:09,355 plead guilty to one count of wire fraud. 272 00:13:09,922 --> 00:13:12,725 Well, when you got that kind of money to drop, 273 00:13:12,725 --> 00:13:15,761 justice has a different kind of way of working out. 274 00:13:15,761 --> 00:13:17,196 (Matthew) I got three years probation, 275 00:13:17,196 --> 00:13:19,599 and I had to surrender my license, 276 00:13:19,866 --> 00:13:21,367 I can't be a mortgage broker. 277 00:13:21,367 --> 00:13:24,203 No license meant no business. 278 00:13:25,438 --> 00:13:29,208 (Matthew) I didn't want to have to claim bankruptcy 279 00:13:29,208 --> 00:13:31,811 and move into my parents' spare room 280 00:13:31,811 --> 00:13:35,147 and you know, listen to my father tell me I was a loser. 281 00:13:35,781 --> 00:13:37,750 I just refused to step backwards. 282 00:13:38,217 --> 00:13:43,256 Refused to make the right choice and instead I chose to... 283 00:13:43,556 --> 00:13:46,826 Commit a much, much larger fraud. 284 00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:50,296 Sounds about right for a true crime story. 285 00:13:50,296 --> 00:13:51,831 (Matthew) So I decided I was gonna start 286 00:13:51,831 --> 00:13:53,466 buying and selling houses. 287 00:13:53,466 --> 00:13:55,535 But Matt's plan has a twist... 288 00:13:56,068 --> 00:13:57,637 (Matthew) I don't want to deal with borrowers. 289 00:13:58,170 --> 00:14:01,774 And I knew, if I put different parts together, 290 00:14:01,774 --> 00:14:04,911 I could create fictitious people on paper 291 00:14:04,911 --> 00:14:07,013 and that I could start getting them loans. 292 00:14:07,813 --> 00:14:11,484 Wait... creating fictitious people to buy houses? 293 00:14:11,884 --> 00:14:14,754 I told y'all he'd start making up people... 294 00:14:14,754 --> 00:14:18,224 That's definitely mad levels up from white out. 295 00:14:18,224 --> 00:14:21,227 (Matthew) I manufactured a fake birth certificate 296 00:14:21,227 --> 00:14:25,331 using fake names, I got the government seal. 297 00:14:25,331 --> 00:14:28,000 I beat it up, I stepped on it a few times. 298 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,636 I cooked it in the oven, made it look a little bit beat up. 299 00:14:31,103 --> 00:14:33,306 I was able to take my game to the next level. 300 00:14:33,906 --> 00:14:34,974 Well, damn... 301 00:14:34,974 --> 00:14:37,443 Armed with a fake birth certificate, 302 00:14:37,443 --> 00:14:39,111 Matt only has one last hurdle. 303 00:14:39,645 --> 00:14:41,847 He needs a valid social security number. 304 00:14:42,348 --> 00:14:45,184 (Matthew) So, I'd go to the social security administration 305 00:14:45,184 --> 00:14:49,388 and convince them to issue social security numbers to 306 00:14:49,388 --> 00:14:51,557 to people that don't exist. 307 00:14:52,358 --> 00:14:55,194 Gave them the paperwork, told them my son, he's 11 months old 308 00:14:55,194 --> 00:14:56,329 he never had one. 309 00:14:56,329 --> 00:14:58,698 And, they issued a social security number. 310 00:14:58,698 --> 00:15:01,000 For a non-existent son? 311 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,270 Nah, it's not supposed to be that easy... 312 00:15:04,270 --> 00:15:09,742 People, for some reason, naturally trust me. 313 00:15:09,742 --> 00:15:11,811 And Matt knew he had hit the jackpot 314 00:15:11,811 --> 00:15:14,146 making up fake birth certificates. 315 00:15:14,146 --> 00:15:16,882 His plan was to take out hundreds of thousands 316 00:15:16,882 --> 00:15:19,318 of dollars in home loan money that he could pocket. 317 00:15:19,318 --> 00:15:22,455 I then used those social security numbers and 318 00:15:22,455 --> 00:15:25,191 secured credit cards in those individual's names. 319 00:15:25,191 --> 00:15:27,727 I would make the payments for a few months, 320 00:15:27,727 --> 00:15:29,929 and that creates a real credit profile. 321 00:15:31,097 --> 00:15:34,233 So I now have an individual that has a 700 credit score. 322 00:15:34,967 --> 00:15:38,537 And I would buy about five houses, in each person's name, 323 00:15:38,537 --> 00:15:40,473 get the property appraised 324 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:43,242 and have them refinance the property. 325 00:15:44,510 --> 00:15:47,747 (Alison) The banks back then did not require an appraiser. 326 00:15:48,381 --> 00:15:51,450 And with no appraiser to put a realistic value on your house... 327 00:15:51,450 --> 00:15:54,620 that meant you could take out a refinance loan bigger than 328 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:56,322 what your house was actually worth. 329 00:15:56,622 --> 00:15:58,624 Pay off the first smaller mortgage 330 00:15:58,624 --> 00:16:00,626 and then pocket the difference. 331 00:16:01,027 --> 00:16:02,962 I know that may be a lot, so let me break it down 332 00:16:02,962 --> 00:16:04,363 in every day terms... 333 00:16:05,598 --> 00:16:07,800 It's like if you told your mom 334 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:09,835 it costs 100 dollars to fill up your gas tank, 335 00:16:09,835 --> 00:16:12,104 but it really only costs 50 dollars. 336 00:16:12,104 --> 00:16:15,041 She lends you the hundred then you fill up your tank 337 00:16:15,041 --> 00:16:16,842 and you put the extra $50 in your pocket. 338 00:16:17,243 --> 00:16:20,980 It's technically stealing and Matt was on a mad come up. 339 00:16:21,681 --> 00:16:23,349 (Matthew) So each fictitious person 340 00:16:23,349 --> 00:16:25,885 would get about a million dollars worth of mortgages. 341 00:16:26,719 --> 00:16:29,855 I'd make about 600,000 from each one, 342 00:16:29,855 --> 00:16:31,323 by refinancing the houses. 343 00:16:32,591 --> 00:16:35,494 And then I would get personal loans from the banks 344 00:16:35,494 --> 00:16:36,996 with the fake names. 345 00:16:38,064 --> 00:16:39,799 And I would run up the credit cards. 346 00:16:41,167 --> 00:16:44,003 After I got the money, then I would let the houses 347 00:16:44,003 --> 00:16:45,705 go into foreclosure. 348 00:16:45,705 --> 00:16:47,973 Which sounds like it would be a problem 349 00:16:47,973 --> 00:16:50,943 but Matthew had a good exit strategy. 350 00:16:51,977 --> 00:16:54,714 Once I got the collection letters from the bank, 351 00:16:54,714 --> 00:16:57,683 I would print out a newspaper article 352 00:16:57,683 --> 00:17:00,286 about someone being in a car crash, 353 00:17:01,020 --> 00:17:04,457 and I would just insert my synthetic borrower's name 354 00:17:04,457 --> 00:17:05,558 in that article. 355 00:17:05,958 --> 00:17:07,693 And I'd mail it to the mortgage company. 356 00:17:08,094 --> 00:17:09,261 And they would take the house, 357 00:17:09,261 --> 00:17:11,163 and I'd never hear from the again. 358 00:17:11,163 --> 00:17:13,799 Wait, first he was fake makin' people 359 00:17:13,799 --> 00:17:16,035 now he fake killin' people? 360 00:17:16,035 --> 00:17:18,137 Matt was doin' the most. 361 00:17:18,637 --> 00:17:19,805 Matt is creative. 362 00:17:19,805 --> 00:17:21,507 He's definitely a mastermind. 363 00:17:21,941 --> 00:17:23,843 Everything that he would do 364 00:17:23,843 --> 00:17:25,778 to close some of these transactions, 365 00:17:26,145 --> 00:17:28,214 is just, it's just mind blowing. 366 00:17:28,214 --> 00:17:30,082 How does somebody figure that out? 367 00:17:30,449 --> 00:17:31,517 I don't know. 368 00:17:32,251 --> 00:17:35,955 (Matthew) And I did this for roughly two years 369 00:17:36,856 --> 00:17:40,326 to the tune of $11.5 million dollars. 370 00:17:40,860 --> 00:17:43,796 11.5 million dollars? 371 00:17:44,497 --> 00:17:47,133 He went from middle class to a one percenter real quick. 372 00:17:52,638 --> 00:17:55,007 (Matthew) My father was definitely proud of me, 373 00:17:55,007 --> 00:17:57,877 I was making great money. I worked for myself. 374 00:17:58,110 --> 00:18:00,713 I think I owned ten houses. 375 00:18:01,147 --> 00:18:03,482 I was buying vehicles for people. 376 00:18:03,482 --> 00:18:06,418 I bought my brother a Harley Davidson, 377 00:18:06,418 --> 00:18:10,322 I bought a friend of mine a $50,000 truck. 378 00:18:11,157 --> 00:18:13,159 I'd meet a girl at 379 00:18:13,159 --> 00:18:16,328 a friend's wedding and two days later, 380 00:18:16,328 --> 00:18:20,499 we were flying first class to Acapulco for a week. 381 00:18:21,133 --> 00:18:24,570 11.5 M's, yeah I can see how that can happen. 382 00:18:25,771 --> 00:18:28,474 (Matthew) So, at this point, I meet a girl named Rebecca... 383 00:18:28,874 --> 00:18:30,376 We go on a few dates... 384 00:18:31,911 --> 00:18:34,780 she's nice, like, I like her, she was great. 385 00:18:34,780 --> 00:18:36,882 Matt found his new sidekick. 386 00:18:37,349 --> 00:18:40,352 (Matthew) I had a lot of money, I drove a nice car. 387 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,489 My life was perfect. 388 00:18:45,024 --> 00:18:46,659 (Alison) But in reality, 389 00:18:46,659 --> 00:18:49,495 a reporter in Saint Pete, the Saint Pete Times 390 00:18:49,495 --> 00:18:53,165 started a story, and that story was getting leaked 391 00:18:53,165 --> 00:18:57,169 and information came out that they were investigating 392 00:18:57,169 --> 00:18:59,972 multiple properties and Matt was going to be exposed. 393 00:19:00,472 --> 00:19:03,976 And the truth was knocking at his door... literally. 394 00:19:03,976 --> 00:19:07,046 (Matthew) One day, a friend of mine, who's a sheriff's deputy, 395 00:19:07,046 --> 00:19:10,516 who I had done some loans for shows up at my office, 396 00:19:11,550 --> 00:19:13,953 and he says, "the FBI is coming to arrest you. 397 00:19:13,953 --> 00:19:15,654 They're gonna arrest you in a couple of days." 398 00:19:15,988 --> 00:19:17,990 I remembered the heat shot up 399 00:19:18,958 --> 00:19:22,361 through my stomach to my chest, and I thought, "oh my god. 400 00:19:22,361 --> 00:19:24,363 Like, I'm already on federal probation, 401 00:19:24,363 --> 00:19:26,599 this ain't gonna be good for me." 402 00:19:26,599 --> 00:19:29,869 Especially since the fraud he's doing now is even bigger than 403 00:19:29,869 --> 00:19:31,303 when he first got busted... 404 00:19:31,737 --> 00:19:35,474 (Matthew) I just felt this overwhelming sense of just doom. 405 00:19:36,609 --> 00:19:37,610 "This is it. 406 00:19:38,744 --> 00:19:41,647 I'm not gonna stick around to go to prison." 407 00:19:46,210 --> 00:19:49,614 (Remy Ma) Matthew Cox has stolen over 11.5 million dollars 408 00:19:49,614 --> 00:19:53,451 buying houses using identities he created out of thin air... 409 00:19:53,451 --> 00:19:56,454 But he's just learned the FBI is after him, 410 00:19:56,454 --> 00:19:59,424 and his solution is to make a run for it. 411 00:19:59,424 --> 00:20:02,260 (Matthew) I'm packing my bags and I'm about to leave 412 00:20:02,260 --> 00:20:04,162 and Rebecca shows up at my house... 413 00:20:04,595 --> 00:20:08,499 So in that moment, Matt decided to spill the beans... 414 00:20:08,499 --> 00:20:11,602 I'm on federal probation, I've been running a scam, 415 00:20:11,602 --> 00:20:14,138 the FBI knows it, they're coming to arrest me. 416 00:20:14,639 --> 00:20:18,409 I'm leaving." And Rebecca said, "I wanna come with you." 417 00:20:19,677 --> 00:20:22,847 Keep in mind that I've been dating her a month and a half. 418 00:20:23,314 --> 00:20:25,249 I don't even know this woman. 419 00:20:25,249 --> 00:20:29,520 It's terrifying leave everything you know, 420 00:20:30,188 --> 00:20:32,490 I was gonna do it but I didn't have to do it alone. 421 00:20:33,191 --> 00:20:34,492 And just like that, 422 00:20:34,492 --> 00:20:36,627 they were two partners on the run from the law. 423 00:20:37,094 --> 00:20:40,598 Within a day I'd pulled about $80,000 out in cash. 424 00:20:40,598 --> 00:20:42,300 We run up my credit cards. 425 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:44,068 We buy as much stuff as we can. 426 00:20:44,435 --> 00:20:47,605 Matt fantasized about going on the run 427 00:20:47,605 --> 00:20:49,740 like, that movie 'Catch Me If You Can', 428 00:20:49,740 --> 00:20:53,611 he fantasized about being like a Bonnie and Clyde. 429 00:20:53,611 --> 00:20:55,580 I would never think that he would really do it. 430 00:20:55,580 --> 00:20:58,249 Then, I got a phone call that Matt had left town, 431 00:20:58,916 --> 00:21:00,451 and he brought his girlfriend with him. 432 00:21:01,052 --> 00:21:03,955 (Matthew) Becky and I drive straight to Atlanta. 433 00:21:04,455 --> 00:21:08,092 The plan is lay low, maybe run a scam or two. 434 00:21:08,092 --> 00:21:10,928 (Matthew) And I rented a house using a fake name. 435 00:21:12,163 --> 00:21:13,564 But they ain't in the clear... 436 00:21:13,564 --> 00:21:15,700 (Matthew) Within a couple of months, 437 00:21:17,301 --> 00:21:19,203 there were newspaper articles 438 00:21:19,203 --> 00:21:21,639 in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, 439 00:21:21,639 --> 00:21:24,575 the Chicago Tribune, it was everywhere. 440 00:21:25,443 --> 00:21:28,279 I didn't steal some bubblegum from the 7/11, 441 00:21:28,279 --> 00:21:29,914 they were looking for me. 442 00:21:29,914 --> 00:21:31,782 Well, that's going to be a problem... 443 00:21:32,316 --> 00:21:35,086 (Matthew) I can't stay in Atlanta, I've just pulled off 444 00:21:35,086 --> 00:21:38,523 another scam, and the best course of action for me was 445 00:21:38,523 --> 00:21:41,259 to get the money and vanish again. 446 00:21:41,726 --> 00:21:45,296 We immediately leave and we go to Charlotte, North Carolina. 447 00:21:45,997 --> 00:21:49,433 But to truly vanish, once they got there, 448 00:21:49,433 --> 00:21:51,802 Matt decided on an ever bolder solution... 449 00:21:51,802 --> 00:21:53,571 Did you ever see the movie 'Face Off'? 450 00:21:53,571 --> 00:21:55,072 (Matthew) Our faces are everywhere, 451 00:21:55,072 --> 00:21:56,440 so we decide to get... 452 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:57,909 Plastic surgery. 453 00:21:59,944 --> 00:22:01,512 Wait...what? 454 00:22:01,979 --> 00:22:03,514 You're not Nicolas Cage. 455 00:22:04,115 --> 00:22:05,683 (Matthew) I wanted to change my appearance. 456 00:22:05,683 --> 00:22:09,120 I end up getting a nose job, I get a mini face lift, 457 00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:10,721 I get two hair grafts. 458 00:22:10,721 --> 00:22:14,058 I get my teeth done, have a liposuction. 459 00:22:14,458 --> 00:22:16,160 Becky gets a bunch of stuff done. 460 00:22:16,561 --> 00:22:18,296 That's some wild (bleep). 461 00:22:18,296 --> 00:22:19,964 Matthew has a new face and body 462 00:22:19,964 --> 00:22:21,632 so no one is going to recognize him, 463 00:22:21,632 --> 00:22:25,169 but to stay in the game and truly off the radar 464 00:22:26,571 --> 00:22:29,473 his scam was also going to need a facelift. 465 00:22:30,007 --> 00:22:33,578 (Matthew) By this point I've decided that, 466 00:22:33,578 --> 00:22:35,546 creating identities is an issue. 467 00:22:35,546 --> 00:22:38,049 Truth be told, the articles about him 468 00:22:38,049 --> 00:22:41,586 didn't spell out exactly what the FBI knew about his system, 469 00:22:41,586 --> 00:22:43,654 so going into a government office 470 00:22:43,654 --> 00:22:47,124 for his social security card scam was too risky. 471 00:22:47,124 --> 00:22:52,129 (Matthew) So I decide I need to steal identities that... 472 00:22:52,396 --> 00:22:53,931 People aren't really using. 473 00:22:53,931 --> 00:22:56,901 But who is he going to find that's not using their 474 00:22:56,901 --> 00:22:59,770 birth certificate or their social security number? 475 00:22:59,770 --> 00:23:03,174 (Matthew) I end up seeing a guy on the side of the road 476 00:23:03,174 --> 00:23:05,509 holding a sign that says, "will work for food." 477 00:23:05,509 --> 00:23:06,644 Bingo! 478 00:23:07,144 --> 00:23:10,414 I go, and I talk to him, I ask him a bunch of questions. 479 00:23:10,881 --> 00:23:13,684 And for $20 bucks, these homeless guys told him 480 00:23:13,684 --> 00:23:15,620 everything he needed to know... 481 00:23:15,620 --> 00:23:18,422 social security numbers, where they were born... 482 00:23:18,689 --> 00:23:20,524 Matt, you the GOAT. 483 00:23:20,958 --> 00:23:23,094 Then I order their birth certificates, 484 00:23:23,761 --> 00:23:27,965 their social security cards, all the documents I needed 485 00:23:27,965 --> 00:23:31,402 in order to get a driver's license and a passport 486 00:23:31,402 --> 00:23:32,670 in their name. 487 00:23:32,670 --> 00:23:35,039 And just as easy as it was telling a clerk 488 00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:37,208 he had a fictitious baby in Brazil... 489 00:23:37,208 --> 00:23:40,544 Matthew assumed the identity of a homeless man... 490 00:23:40,544 --> 00:23:42,747 And he has all the proper paperwork. 491 00:23:42,747 --> 00:23:44,615 His original hustle was back. 492 00:23:44,615 --> 00:23:46,517 (Matthew) I would then open up bank accounts 493 00:23:46,517 --> 00:23:48,452 and buying houses in their names. 494 00:23:48,452 --> 00:23:50,154 Gotta give it to you Matt, 495 00:23:50,154 --> 00:23:53,190 this is yet a level up in identity theft 496 00:23:53,190 --> 00:23:54,492 I didn't see coming. 497 00:23:54,492 --> 00:23:56,193 Did I tell you you the GOAT? 498 00:23:56,761 --> 00:23:58,896 Yeah, it's a scumbag thing to do. 499 00:23:58,896 --> 00:24:01,165 And I realize that now, but at the time it, 500 00:24:01,165 --> 00:24:02,533 it didn't affect me. 501 00:24:02,533 --> 00:24:04,769 Oooh, and he's just warming up... 502 00:24:04,769 --> 00:24:07,204 (Matthew) And I start going out and I start surveying 503 00:24:07,204 --> 00:24:09,807 homeless people, stealing their identities. 504 00:24:09,807 --> 00:24:13,944 Technically you bought it for 20 cash. 505 00:24:13,944 --> 00:24:16,580 (Matthew) And pulling out cash out of the bank. 506 00:24:16,580 --> 00:24:19,016 And with endless homeless people to survey, 507 00:24:19,016 --> 00:24:22,386 Matt's latest scam started to bring in millions... 508 00:24:22,386 --> 00:24:24,355 We're going on like vacations. 509 00:24:24,355 --> 00:24:29,160 Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Vegas, New Orleans. 510 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:32,329 Becky's blowing a ton of money on clothes, on jewelry. 511 00:24:32,329 --> 00:24:34,131 It's an expensive lifestyle. 512 00:24:34,498 --> 00:24:36,534 While Matt was traveling the world on his 513 00:24:36,534 --> 00:24:39,970 identity theft dollars, former colleagues were wrapped up in 514 00:24:39,970 --> 00:24:41,739 the drama of his disappearance. 515 00:24:41,739 --> 00:24:43,708 I think that was a question on everybody's mind. 516 00:24:43,708 --> 00:24:45,209 Would Matt ever get caught? 517 00:24:45,476 --> 00:24:46,677 Was Matt in the U.S.? 518 00:24:47,078 --> 00:24:50,047 Did he flee the country living a lavish life? 519 00:24:51,382 --> 00:24:53,884 (Matthew) At this point it's been about a year, and 520 00:24:53,884 --> 00:24:56,287 Rebecca and I are still on the run in Charlotte. 521 00:24:56,287 --> 00:25:00,157 Ummm...everyone watching knows that's too long in one place. 522 00:25:00,157 --> 00:25:03,327 It was time for them to make a move to remain undetected. 523 00:25:03,327 --> 00:25:05,663 (Matthew) There was a ton of pressure and our relationship 524 00:25:05,663 --> 00:25:07,665 at this point it's breaking down very quickly... 525 00:25:08,132 --> 00:25:11,502 Matt needed a break, so he sent Rebecca ahead... 526 00:25:11,969 --> 00:25:14,805 (Matthew) I was wrapping up in Charlotte, North Carolina... 527 00:25:14,805 --> 00:25:18,542 Rebecca relocated to Houston, Texas, 528 00:25:18,542 --> 00:25:20,511 because once I got all the money, 529 00:25:20,511 --> 00:25:22,613 out of the multiple bank accounts, 530 00:25:22,613 --> 00:25:24,982 that's where we were going to be living. 531 00:25:24,982 --> 00:25:28,052 I had already pulled out like six or 700,000 out of the bank. 532 00:25:28,052 --> 00:25:30,755 I only had another two weeks and I would've had all the money. 533 00:25:30,755 --> 00:25:34,692 One day I go into Wachovia in the name of Gary, 534 00:25:34,692 --> 00:25:36,093 the homeless guy that I met. 535 00:25:36,093 --> 00:25:38,462 I had multiple bank accounts in his name. 536 00:25:38,462 --> 00:25:41,198 I'm trying to cash a check for like $8,000 or something. 537 00:25:41,198 --> 00:25:44,969 I always stay below $10,000 dollars because I don't want the 538 00:25:44,969 --> 00:25:47,271 transaction to be reported to the government. 539 00:25:47,738 --> 00:25:49,607 The woman says, give me a second. 540 00:25:49,607 --> 00:25:50,908 She walks in the back. 541 00:25:53,310 --> 00:25:54,845 I'm waiting, I'm waiting... 542 00:25:55,646 --> 00:25:58,315 I had a real ID and I wasn't that concerned. 543 00:25:59,984 --> 00:26:01,952 But you might wanna be... 544 00:26:04,822 --> 00:26:08,025 And suddenly two sheriff's deputies walk in behind me... 545 00:26:15,344 --> 00:26:17,079 (Remy Ma) Matthew Cox and his girlfriend have been on the run 546 00:26:17,079 --> 00:26:19,248 for over a year wanted for fraud. 547 00:26:19,248 --> 00:26:22,384 And after successfully evading the feds, 548 00:26:22,384 --> 00:26:27,022 Matt's day of reckoning had come over a measly $8,000 check 549 00:26:27,022 --> 00:26:29,691 as he posed as one of the identities that he stole-- 550 00:26:30,125 --> 00:26:31,727 a homeless guy named Gary. 551 00:26:32,261 --> 00:26:33,862 (Matthew) I know things are bad. 552 00:26:34,763 --> 00:26:36,498 The detective shows up 553 00:26:36,765 --> 00:26:39,902 [suspenseful music] 554 00:26:40,869 --> 00:26:43,071 and he says, hey Gary, 555 00:26:43,071 --> 00:26:45,674 the head of Wachovia's fraud department 556 00:26:46,074 --> 00:26:49,578 contacted us and he said that you're running a scam. 557 00:26:49,578 --> 00:26:51,213 And he said that you've got 558 00:26:51,213 --> 00:26:53,515 three mortgages on the same house. 559 00:26:54,750 --> 00:26:57,019 He's calling me Gary and then he pulls up 560 00:26:57,019 --> 00:26:59,488 the true Gary's driver's license. 561 00:27:00,789 --> 00:27:03,525 I don't know if the picture's gonna come up or not. 562 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,838 So he comes back in, says to the detective, I ran it. 563 00:27:15,838 --> 00:27:18,140 The detective says, is everything good? 564 00:27:18,941 --> 00:27:21,109 And he goes, yeah, it's good, it's valid. 565 00:27:21,109 --> 00:27:23,879 Well, it says he's 5'10". 566 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,749 Homeless Gary may be 5'10 but Matthew Cox is a shorty, 567 00:27:27,749 --> 00:27:29,585 about 5'6 on a good day... 568 00:27:30,052 --> 00:27:32,154 And they all look at me and I go, well, fellas, 569 00:27:32,154 --> 00:27:33,455 with a good pair of shoes! 570 00:27:36,024 --> 00:27:38,961 I am absolutely trembling inside... 571 00:27:38,961 --> 00:27:40,429 I'm freaking out, but I, 572 00:27:40,429 --> 00:27:43,165 I know outwardly I looked perfectly calm. 573 00:27:43,599 --> 00:27:46,635 The detective ends up saying I'm gonna take him downtown, 574 00:27:46,635 --> 00:27:48,036 have him fill out a police report. 575 00:27:48,036 --> 00:27:49,471 A police report? 576 00:27:49,471 --> 00:27:51,507 And that's when I realized that they didn't know 577 00:27:51,507 --> 00:27:52,641 what was really happening. 578 00:27:52,641 --> 00:27:54,309 And this could be a problem... 579 00:27:54,309 --> 00:27:57,212 cause fast talking can only do so much once 580 00:27:57,212 --> 00:27:59,948 they got you down at the station and they got plenty 581 00:27:59,948 --> 00:28:01,283 of time to scrutinize. 582 00:28:01,750 --> 00:28:05,020 The detective tells me, can you wait in the hallway. 583 00:28:05,487 --> 00:28:07,623 I go in the hallway and I'm standing there where all 584 00:28:07,623 --> 00:28:09,191 the wanted posters are. 585 00:28:09,191 --> 00:28:11,994 There's all these black and white wanted posters. 586 00:28:12,728 --> 00:28:15,898 There's murderers they're looking for, there's burglars. 587 00:28:15,898 --> 00:28:18,467 And there's one poster that's in color. 588 00:28:19,401 --> 00:28:21,003 (Alison) It was him and Rebecca. 589 00:28:21,270 --> 00:28:23,338 Secret Service, most wanted. 590 00:28:23,338 --> 00:28:26,475 (Matthew) I didn't look like those photos 591 00:28:26,975 --> 00:28:29,144 and I'm staring right at myself as the 592 00:28:29,144 --> 00:28:31,346 detective walks up behind me. 593 00:28:35,183 --> 00:28:37,152 Hey Gary, you're ready to go... 594 00:28:38,620 --> 00:28:40,722 He just gets released. 595 00:28:41,023 --> 00:28:42,391 Doesn't get caught. 596 00:28:44,026 --> 00:28:50,065 (Matthew) I remember feeling absolutely ecstatic... 597 00:28:50,566 --> 00:28:53,168 I felt so good, I went to two more banks 598 00:28:53,168 --> 00:28:54,803 and removed more cash. 599 00:28:54,803 --> 00:28:56,772 Imma just start sayin' maaah. 600 00:28:57,272 --> 00:28:58,774 (Matthew) It was just an amazing feeling. 601 00:28:58,774 --> 00:28:59,975 Maaah. 602 00:29:00,609 --> 00:29:02,611 What's the name of that plastic surgeon? 603 00:29:02,611 --> 00:29:06,381 Asking for a friend 'cause, um, yeah, I love my face... 604 00:29:07,316 --> 00:29:10,218 (Matthew) Then I got on the interstate and I took off. 605 00:29:10,218 --> 00:29:13,589 Matt drove straight to Rebecca and even though Matt got away, 606 00:29:13,589 --> 00:29:16,525 the walls were starting to close in everywhere he looked. 607 00:29:17,659 --> 00:29:20,195 At one point Rebecca and I had gotten into an argument that was 608 00:29:20,195 --> 00:29:21,997 she was so loud and so erratic, 609 00:29:21,997 --> 00:29:23,599 she'd actually had the cops called. 610 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:26,535 And, you know, I can't be with someone who's going to be 611 00:29:26,535 --> 00:29:29,571 behaving in a way that the police get called. 612 00:29:29,571 --> 00:29:31,006 We're both wanted! 613 00:29:31,006 --> 00:29:34,409 That's common sense, c'mon Beck-sy! 614 00:29:34,409 --> 00:29:36,211 (Matthew) I end up saying, look, 615 00:29:36,211 --> 00:29:37,546 it's not gonna work out, 616 00:29:37,546 --> 00:29:40,582 I wanna split up the money and leave. 617 00:29:41,116 --> 00:29:44,019 And there's about six or $700,000 dollars 618 00:29:44,419 --> 00:29:46,722 and she says she wants to keep all the money. 619 00:29:46,722 --> 00:29:49,791 She said, you can go somewhere else and run another scam, 620 00:29:49,791 --> 00:29:51,493 you can take $100,000. 621 00:29:51,493 --> 00:29:52,561 Oh, hell nah. 622 00:29:52,561 --> 00:29:54,763 Look, she had a legitimate argument, 623 00:29:54,763 --> 00:29:58,166 she wasn't going to run a scam, she had to live off that money. 624 00:29:58,166 --> 00:30:00,035 And you give me $100,000 and I'll have 625 00:30:00,035 --> 00:30:01,536 a million dollars in a few months. 626 00:30:01,536 --> 00:30:03,872 Matt was about avoiding the police 627 00:30:03,872 --> 00:30:06,375 so he cut his losses grabbed the money 628 00:30:06,375 --> 00:30:08,777 and dipped back to his old crib in North Carolina. 629 00:30:10,045 --> 00:30:13,415 (Matthew) When I get back to Charlotte I remember thinking, 630 00:30:13,415 --> 00:30:18,086 there are 20 or 30 articles that have been published about me. 631 00:30:18,086 --> 00:30:21,223 And the FBI had probably tracked me back 632 00:30:21,223 --> 00:30:23,825 to the apartment complex in Charlotte. 633 00:30:23,825 --> 00:30:25,427 Always one step ahead, 634 00:30:25,427 --> 00:30:28,563 Matt decided to stake it out to see if the coast was clear. 635 00:30:28,563 --> 00:30:31,867 So, I drive kind of caddy corner to the apartment complex 636 00:30:31,867 --> 00:30:33,802 and I go to this coffee place. 637 00:30:38,407 --> 00:30:41,943 And while I'm inside ordering, I noticed there's two guys 638 00:30:41,943 --> 00:30:43,812 standing there waiting for their orders. 639 00:30:50,919 --> 00:30:52,254 He's staring at me... 640 00:31:06,401 --> 00:31:08,336 And all of a sudden I hear him screaming... 641 00:31:08,336 --> 00:31:10,372 "He's right here! He's right here!" 642 00:31:10,939 --> 00:31:14,810 And I see two guys running towards the back of my car. 643 00:31:19,611 --> 00:31:22,781 (Remy Ma) Low on cash after a very expensive breakup, 644 00:31:22,781 --> 00:31:25,784 fugitive Matthew Cox finds himself back in 645 00:31:25,784 --> 00:31:29,421 Charlotte, North Carolina caught up in his own takedown. 646 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:39,731 All of a sudden I see two guys run toward the back of my car. 647 00:31:42,867 --> 00:31:45,937 I punch it and I shoot into traffic 648 00:31:47,205 --> 00:31:49,407 and I leave them standing in the middle of the road, 649 00:31:49,407 --> 00:31:50,775 screaming into their cellphones. 650 00:31:51,443 --> 00:31:52,944 They were seconds away from grabbing me. 651 00:31:52,944 --> 00:31:55,079 And it turns out that that was the US marshals. 652 00:31:56,648 --> 00:32:00,251 I was freaked out about the fact that they'd come so close, 653 00:32:00,819 --> 00:32:04,556 yet I drove about a mile down the street, 654 00:32:05,056 --> 00:32:08,593 and as I was driving, I saw three homeless guys 655 00:32:08,593 --> 00:32:10,495 that were about my age. 656 00:32:11,196 --> 00:32:13,498 And, I immediately pulled over and surveyed 'em. 657 00:32:13,965 --> 00:32:16,634 I get it, you're low on funds but come on, Matt! 658 00:32:16,634 --> 00:32:18,303 You just barely escaped. 659 00:32:19,003 --> 00:32:21,406 (Matthew) 17 questions. It'll take all of five minutes. 660 00:32:21,406 --> 00:32:22,907 I gave 'em 20 bucks and boom, 661 00:32:22,907 --> 00:32:24,609 they gave me all their information. 662 00:32:25,543 --> 00:32:28,480 I'm good, I thought, where am I gonna go? 663 00:32:29,380 --> 00:32:30,648 I'm gonna go to Nashville, Tennessee 664 00:32:30,648 --> 00:32:32,350 because I like country music. 665 00:32:33,084 --> 00:32:36,988 That was mad random but it was a new state 666 00:32:36,988 --> 00:32:40,191 and when Matt arrived the first landlord he met 667 00:32:40,191 --> 00:32:41,893 just handed over the keys. 668 00:32:41,893 --> 00:32:45,497 (Matthew) I remember thinking I'm gonna like Nashville. 669 00:32:46,598 --> 00:32:48,733 They're very trusting here. 670 00:32:49,701 --> 00:32:52,737 And with three fresh 20 dollar identities 671 00:32:52,737 --> 00:32:54,539 Matt hit the ground running... 672 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:59,611 (Matthew) I borrowed $3.5 million from banks in Nashville. 673 00:32:59,611 --> 00:33:02,213 I mean, it was a great lick. 674 00:33:02,213 --> 00:33:06,084 And all of it was from those three homeless guys 675 00:33:06,084 --> 00:33:09,487 that I surveyed when I got chased out of Charlotte. 676 00:33:09,487 --> 00:33:12,891 Like they say... if it ain't broke don't fix it. 677 00:33:12,891 --> 00:33:15,426 And Matt was back in his fugitive comfort zone. 678 00:33:15,994 --> 00:33:18,129 I was going by the name Carter, 679 00:33:19,364 --> 00:33:23,535 and I met Amanda six months after I'd been in Nashville. 680 00:33:24,102 --> 00:33:25,136 We just really clicked, 681 00:33:26,104 --> 00:33:28,940 and it was probably within a month or so, she moved in. 682 00:33:29,340 --> 00:33:33,244 And, I didn't wanna lie to her but I'm so arrogant 683 00:33:33,611 --> 00:33:36,347 that I didn't think I was going to get caught. 684 00:33:36,714 --> 00:33:38,249 I just didn't think the authorities 685 00:33:38,249 --> 00:33:39,651 were sharp enough to catch me. 686 00:33:40,151 --> 00:33:43,421 And since he felt the local authorities weren't on to him, 687 00:33:43,421 --> 00:33:45,657 Matt settled into his new city like 688 00:33:45,657 --> 00:33:47,892 he didn't have a care in the world... 689 00:33:48,226 --> 00:33:50,495 (Matthew) We were together for over a year. 690 00:33:51,963 --> 00:33:54,799 Eventually she found out who I was... 691 00:33:54,799 --> 00:33:58,703 So you were together for a year and she had no clue? 692 00:33:58,703 --> 00:34:00,638 Damn, Matt was good! 693 00:34:01,439 --> 00:34:03,808 (Matthew) She kind of innocently came across the letter 694 00:34:03,808 --> 00:34:05,944 that I'd written my parents, and my real name. 695 00:34:05,944 --> 00:34:09,547 She looked me up and she figured out that I was on the 696 00:34:09,547 --> 00:34:11,482 secret services most wanted list 697 00:34:11,482 --> 00:34:13,351 and the FBI was looking for me. 698 00:34:13,751 --> 00:34:15,720 There was a confrontation at that point, 699 00:34:16,087 --> 00:34:18,423 and, I told her I was gonna leave, 700 00:34:18,823 --> 00:34:21,059 and she cried and, promised she wouldn't tell anybody 701 00:34:21,593 --> 00:34:25,263 and I could trust her and so I stayed. 702 00:34:26,264 --> 00:34:28,800 Then we had a pretty good life. 703 00:34:29,534 --> 00:34:32,203 And then the other shoe dropped... 704 00:34:32,937 --> 00:34:36,240 Amanda found out that Dateline NBC 705 00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:37,709 was gonna do a program on me. 706 00:34:38,142 --> 00:34:40,878 And his face being on a national TV show 707 00:34:40,878 --> 00:34:43,581 was much more dangerous than being in random 708 00:34:43,581 --> 00:34:44,916 local newspapers. 709 00:34:46,217 --> 00:34:48,586 (Matthew) So I decide I'm gonna take off. 710 00:34:50,355 --> 00:34:54,792 My plan was, Amanda and I were going to go to Australia. 711 00:34:54,792 --> 00:34:56,227 I was panicked. 712 00:34:57,595 --> 00:34:59,631 It's kind of a mad dash at this point. 713 00:35:00,031 --> 00:35:02,333 Matt and Amanda checked into a hotel 714 00:35:02,333 --> 00:35:03,901 while he prepared their get a way. 715 00:35:03,901 --> 00:35:06,204 (Matthew) I had security footage, at the house. 716 00:35:07,372 --> 00:35:09,207 So, I go back to get it. 717 00:35:09,574 --> 00:35:11,909 On my way to the house, Amanda calls me. 718 00:35:13,911 --> 00:35:16,481 She says, Matt, I'm sorry, I think I messed up. 719 00:35:17,181 --> 00:35:19,984 Amanda, A.K.A 'Chatty Patty' had slipped up 720 00:35:19,984 --> 00:35:21,986 and told her friend about Matt's identity. 721 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:24,756 Yeah, that was smart. 722 00:35:25,823 --> 00:35:27,358 [tires screeching] 723 00:35:30,294 --> 00:35:33,231 [yelling indistinctly] 724 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,976 I just went numb. 725 00:35:49,110 --> 00:35:51,713 (Remy Ma) Con man Matthew Cox has been on the run 726 00:35:51,713 --> 00:35:53,314 for almst three years. 727 00:35:54,983 --> 00:35:57,986 But it looks like his days on the Secret Service most 728 00:35:57,986 --> 00:35:59,521 wanted list, are over. 729 00:36:04,325 --> 00:36:05,927 (Matthew) They pull out a clipboard 730 00:36:05,927 --> 00:36:08,096 with my wanted poster on it... 731 00:36:08,096 --> 00:36:10,031 One of the agents is like, man, I don't think that's him. 732 00:36:10,031 --> 00:36:11,466 I don't think that's him. 733 00:36:11,466 --> 00:36:13,468 Another one said, no, that's him, that's him. 734 00:36:14,135 --> 00:36:16,471 And he goes, now you are Matthew Cox, right? 735 00:36:16,771 --> 00:36:18,072 You are Matthew Cox... 736 00:36:19,140 --> 00:36:24,212 And I went, yeah, yeah I'm Matthew Cox. 737 00:36:24,212 --> 00:36:25,914 And he goes we've been looking for you... 738 00:36:26,514 --> 00:36:30,485 That so called friend of Amanda's had ratted him out. 739 00:36:31,586 --> 00:36:34,989 Matthew was charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, 740 00:36:34,989 --> 00:36:37,892 money laundering, government document fraud, 741 00:36:37,892 --> 00:36:41,629 social security fraud, aggravated identity theft 742 00:36:41,629 --> 00:36:43,331 and a few other charges. 743 00:36:43,331 --> 00:36:45,800 Yeah, they threw the whole book at him. 744 00:36:46,401 --> 00:36:50,572 I plead guilty because I'm extremely guilty. 745 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:53,842 I get 26 years and four months. 746 00:36:53,842 --> 00:36:55,543 26 years?! 747 00:36:55,543 --> 00:36:57,011 Damn... 748 00:36:57,946 --> 00:37:01,716 You've never seen a grown man cry the way I cried. 749 00:37:01,716 --> 00:37:03,952 It was pathetic. 750 00:37:06,721 --> 00:37:11,659 My father's reaction was extreme disappointment in me. 751 00:37:12,660 --> 00:37:17,532 He just looked disgusted by me, you know, and my mom cried. 752 00:37:17,532 --> 00:37:19,100 It was bad. 753 00:37:19,601 --> 00:37:23,171 Matt was processed into a medium level security prison in 754 00:37:23,171 --> 00:37:26,107 Florida for his damn near life sentence. 755 00:37:26,107 --> 00:37:29,677 Getting to prison and sleeping that first night and 756 00:37:29,677 --> 00:37:32,113 realizing that this is it for me... 757 00:37:32,113 --> 00:37:34,782 It is extremely humbling. 758 00:37:35,517 --> 00:37:39,487 But once he got used to his reality, he found purpose. 759 00:37:39,487 --> 00:37:43,358 I end up meeting all of these inmates with great 760 00:37:43,358 --> 00:37:46,561 stories and I start writing their stories. 761 00:37:46,861 --> 00:37:50,265 Suddenly my dyslexia wasn't the hindrance 762 00:37:50,265 --> 00:37:52,567 that I had always felt it was. 763 00:37:53,568 --> 00:37:55,036 Years into his sentence, 764 00:37:55,036 --> 00:37:57,906 Matthew's dad showed up to visit him alone. 765 00:37:59,274 --> 00:38:03,611 He goes, "you're smart and you're clever 766 00:38:04,712 --> 00:38:07,582 and you're gonna figure out a way out of here." 767 00:38:08,383 --> 00:38:12,120 And he said, "you know, I'm not proud of where you're at, 768 00:38:13,121 --> 00:38:14,889 but I'm proud of you." 769 00:38:14,889 --> 00:38:16,958 He said, "you've done amazing things 770 00:38:17,358 --> 00:38:19,527 that I couldn't even imagine doing." 771 00:38:20,795 --> 00:38:23,298 And, it was, like, the only time he ever said that. 772 00:38:26,734 --> 00:38:28,336 As he had done since a child, 773 00:38:28,336 --> 00:38:31,039 Matt took his father's words as a new life goal. 774 00:38:31,573 --> 00:38:36,010 I agreed to be interviewed by Dateline 775 00:38:36,010 --> 00:38:37,579 by American Greed. 776 00:38:37,579 --> 00:38:41,749 And I wrote an ethics and fraud course, which is used to help 777 00:38:41,749 --> 00:38:44,152 train the nation's mortgage brokers. 778 00:38:44,152 --> 00:38:48,456 And for those things I ended up doing 13 years 779 00:38:48,656 --> 00:38:50,658 on a 26-year sentence. 780 00:38:50,658 --> 00:38:54,696 A half sentence for basically snitchin' on yourself 781 00:38:54,696 --> 00:38:57,165 after you're already convicted? 782 00:38:57,165 --> 00:39:01,302 Damn, my man Matt was still on his come up even behind bars. 783 00:39:01,302 --> 00:39:05,006 And in 2019 was released into a different looking world. 784 00:39:05,006 --> 00:39:07,075 My father died while I was in prison. 785 00:39:08,643 --> 00:39:10,345 I got lucky... 786 00:39:12,146 --> 00:39:17,885 and I got out, in time to be there for my mom. 787 00:39:18,419 --> 00:39:24,359 So, I was able to spend about two years with my mother. 788 00:39:27,495 --> 00:39:30,531 Now, I've got several books that are out. 789 00:39:31,699 --> 00:39:35,503 I have optioned several true crime stories. 790 00:39:35,503 --> 00:39:37,071 I paint pop art. 791 00:39:37,071 --> 00:39:39,440 And he's still in the mortgage game 792 00:39:40,441 --> 00:39:44,045 I speak at mortgage conventions, real estate offices, 793 00:39:44,045 --> 00:39:45,713 at colleges. 794 00:39:45,713 --> 00:39:47,582 That's how I make a living. 795 00:39:47,582 --> 00:39:50,284 He wants to succeed in the right way. 796 00:39:50,818 --> 00:39:53,554 I think Matt's future has great possibilities... 797 00:39:53,554 --> 00:39:55,923 it'll be interesting to see what he does. 798 00:39:56,391 --> 00:39:58,993 Jessica and I have been dating for about 2,5 years now. 799 00:39:59,427 --> 00:40:01,796 And there's not a day that goes by that I don't wanna 800 00:40:01,796 --> 00:40:03,231 commit fraud... 801 00:40:03,231 --> 00:40:07,468 But the truth is, I just have too much to lose. 802 00:40:08,603 --> 00:40:11,139 Jess wouldn't put up with it, I can tell you that. 803 00:40:11,939 --> 00:40:13,741 She would--she wouldn't have it at all. 804 00:40:14,042 --> 00:40:15,610 It's a cliché for me to say, 805 00:40:15,610 --> 00:40:19,647 money doesn't buy happiness but that's the truth. 806 00:40:20,982 --> 00:40:22,917 I have people that depend on me 807 00:40:23,718 --> 00:40:25,920 and I don't wanna let those people down... 808 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:28,523 I mean, I've let too many people down. 809 00:40:29,323 --> 00:40:32,326 And Matt's got some parting words you shouldn't sleep on... 810 00:40:32,326 --> 00:40:34,996 Every day is a blessing that I'm out. 811 00:40:35,563 --> 00:40:38,066 People just have no idea how good you have it. 812 00:40:39,634 --> 00:40:43,271 This is, like, a, it's like a big theme park out here. 813 00:40:43,271 --> 00:40:46,741 So use Matthew's story as a life lesson learned. 814 00:40:46,741 --> 00:40:48,409 Be careful what you chase, 815 00:40:48,409 --> 00:40:52,013 because in the blink of an eye anyone can get caught up. 816 00:40:52,013 --> 00:40:53,614 And you don't want that. 817 00:40:53,614 --> 00:40:54,549 Trust.