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- [00:00]
Sachi Kol
Hey, Scamflancers listeners, if you're as hooked on these jaw dropping schemes as we are, you'll love Wondry. Think of it as your all access. Past the world of scams ad free episodes, early access, and exclusive deep dives that uncover even more shocking details. Don't just listen, immerse yourself in the chaos with Wondry.
- [00:20]
Sarah Haggie
We'll be back in two weeks with all new episodes of Scamfluencers. But since we're in the holiday season and fruitcake seems to be everywhere, we thought it was the perfect time to revisit one of our most unforgettable confectionery capers. Sachi, do you remember our episode on Sandy Jenkins, the accountant who turned a Texas fruitcake empire into his personal piggy bank?
- [00:42]
Sachi Kol
Oh, yes. Sandy was the bookkeeper at the Collins Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas. But behind the scenes, he was quietly siphoning off millions of dollars to fund a luxury lifestyle. Think private jets, expensive wine and designer everything. All so that he could keep up appearances with his small Texas town.
- [01:02]
Sarah Haggie
Well, since that first episode aired, the bakery has finally spoken and shared their side of the story, along with how they've rebuilt their operations and how the scandal has reshaped their company culture. Thomas McNutt, Collins Street Bakery's executive vice president, calls the company the ultimate comeback kid.
- [01:20]
Sachi Kol
Big words for a fruitcake company.
- [01:22]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, you know what? Nevertheless, they persisted. Also, a feature film based on the scandal called Fruitcake was announced last year, starring Jennifer Gardner and Paul Walter Hauser. So with Sandy Jenkins back in the conversation, we thought it was the perfect time to revisit the story. So enjoy the encore. Ideally with a slice of fruitcake. Sachi, I am so curious. What is the craziest thing you've done to fit in?
- [01:57]
Sachi Kol
Honestly, I probably just let people say my name wrong a lot. Other than that, it wasn't really gonna happen for me, so I didn't do a lot.
- [02:06]
Sarah Haggie
Thank you for your answer, Scotchy. When I was a kid, my sister worked at Walmart. She's about 10 years older than me. And I lied and I said I could get everyone free Pokemon cards. Obviously, I did not do that.
- [02:20]
Sachi Kol
That's a perfectly good lie.
- [02:22]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, I mean, in retrospect, it was embarrassing, but I was a kid and today's story is all about a very unremarkable and unpopular guy who wants to be the big dog of his small town so badly, he almost convincingly scammed his way to the top. It's a July morning in 2013, and it's already a scorcher in Corsicana, Texas, a small town about 50 miles south of Dallas, Jim Polk is mowing his lawn. He probably pauses to wave to a neighbor grabbing his paper and says howdy to a young couple walking their dog. Everyone here seems to know each other, which means gossip is the town's unofficial currency. People here are known to pass judgment if someone doesn't have plastic surgery or wear designer shoes. Sachi, do you want to read how one resident described Corsicana to Texas Monthly? Why, yes, I would.
- [03:15]
Sachi Kol
They said the Housewives of Beverly Hills. We'd blow that shit out of the water. Okay, I need Andy Cohen and four cameras.
- [03:23]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, I do feel like this would be an amazing housewives town. And the rumor mill is about to be sent into overdrive because as Jim mows his lawn, a parade of gray cars race down his block and screech to a stop in front of the house across the street. Jim stops mowing and watches in shock as FBI agents swarm his neighbor's home. The house belongs to Sandy and Kay Jenkins. They're both in their 60s with short gray hair. Sandy's a quiet and well dressed accountant. His wife Kay is outgoing and warm. She used to own a catering business, but she put it aside a few years ago, right around the time they came into money. A lot of money. Jim knows this because they haven't exactly been shy about it. For the past few years, he's watched Sandy bring a new luxury car home seemingly every week. And he's noticed that Kay's always carrying around a few fancy handbag and wearing expensive jewelry. Jim also knows they own a second home in Santa Fe and that they travel there by private jet. But the source of Sandy and Kay's newfound wealth has been a total mystery.
- [04:30]
Sachi Kol
I imagine the source of their wealth has been an ongoing discussion in Corsicana.
- [04:35]
Sarah Haggie
Yes, and now everyone can't stop talking about this raid. Before Jim knows it, the whole neighborhood is out on the street watching the scene in front of the Jenkinson's house unfold. The police arrive to help out the FBI, and a newspaper reporter starts asking questions. Jim cranes his neck to see over the crowd. A tow truck arrives to haul away the couple's Mercedes and Lexus. Several agents emerge from the house carrying boxes of crystal and silver and almost a dozen paintings. They've also got not one, but two Louis Vuitton steamer trunks. Jim and the rest of Corsicana immediately start speculating about what kind of trouble Sandy and Kay are in. Sandy lost his job about a month earlier. Now Jim and his neighbors are wondering, could the raid have had something to do with that? But when the neighbors read the local paper, the Corsicana Daily sun, they're completely rattled. Sandy is in much bigger trouble than any of them imagined. Turns out he's stolen millions from Corsicana's most beloved establishment, the Fruitcake Factory.
- [05:47]
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- [06:36]
Sarah Haggie
From Wondery I'm Sarah Hagie. And I'm Sachi Kol and this is Scamfluencers. Come and give me your attention. I won't ever learn my lesson. Turn my speakers to 11. I feel like a legend. This is a story that can only happen in small town usa. A place where keeping up with the Joneses can turn into an obsession. Sandy Jenkins was a hard working family man who wanted the respect of his neighbors. But the only way to rise up in his status obsessed town was to get rich or die trying. Much like a fruitcake, this tale has a little bit of everything. Gossipy neighbors, family dynasties and joyrides set to Barbra Streisand. It also reminds us that everything's bigger in Texas. Even the fraud. I'm calling this one have your cake and steal it too Legend. To understand how a place like Corsicana could stir up a multi million dollar fruitcake scam, let's take a trip back to more than a century ago. The year is 1894 and Corsicana is growing fast. So fast that there's not enough water for everyone. So the local utility company starts drilling a well. But instead of water, they find oil. Lots of it. It kicks off Texas first ever oil boom. Corsicana transforms into a land of opportunity, attracting dreamers and schemers from all over the world. One of these dreamers is a baker from Germany. He opens a store on Collins street and names It Collins Street Bakery. Soon, all the fine folks in Corsicana are salivating over the delicious breads and pastries. But there's one treat that stands out. The deluxe fruitcake. It's got bits of papaya, pineapple, cherry raisins, and pecan all baked into it. And since fruitcake keeps for a long time, people passing through on the rail line can take it home with them and share it with friends and family. Soon, word spreads far and wide. Collins Street Bakery starts getting letters from out of towners asking to buy cake by mail. Even John Ringling of the Ringling Brothers Circus wants to get his hands on some deluxe fruitcake. So in 1914, the bakery owner starts shipping cakes. This turns Collin street into one of the very first mail order businesses in the good old US of A. And the whole cake by mail thing becomes a massive hit.
- [09:09]
Sachi Kol
That is so much energy for fruitcake, which I don't think is very good.
- [09:14]
Sarah Haggie
I mean, it was the past. There wasn't that much to look forward to.
- [09:18]
Sachi Kol
Yeah, they didn't have a lot going on.
- [09:21]
Sarah Haggie
Well, several decades later, in 1946, Collins Street Bakery is bought by a local family, the McNutts. And that's when the business really takes off. In their first decade of ownership, the McNuts grow fruitcake sales from 130,000 doll a year to over half a million dollars. Customers include Frank Sinatra, Estee Lauder, and the Queen of Spain. The business is passed down from generation to generation. By the 1980s, Collins street is pumping out 30,000 fruitcakes a day during peak season and shipping them to every state and nearly every country. The McNutts are one of the most respected families in town. They're at the top of the social ladder. But all that wealth and status makes them a target. And if the McNuts aren't careful, their fruitcake empire could crumble from within. It's 1988, and Sandy Jenkins is toiling away at his desk. He's an accounting clerk who works for a utility company in Fairfield, Texas. It's a rural town with more livestock than people. Sandy has a loving wife and a young daughter, but he's pushing 40 and working a 9 to 5. He's tired of his ordinary middle class life. He wants a change of pace, and he wants to live in luxury. Sandy's been fascinated by jewels, expensive watches, and designer couture ever since he was a kid. But his parents were working class. He probably couldn't see a path to the finer things in life. That is, until he took a trip to visit A funeral home owned by a distant relative. What he saw there took his breath away. The lavish interior, the crisp suits and shiny black cars. This was a life he'd always imagined for himself. Immediately, he knew what he wanted to a funeral home director.
- [11:18]
Sachi Kol
You know what? Someone has to do it.
- [11:20]
Sarah Haggie
I'm glad it's someone who sees it as glamorous and not a societal duty. Yes, but Sandy's parents didn't approve of his dream. They wanted him to pick a more mainstream career. So he went to college. That's where he met K. He got a degree in business administration and they got married. Shortly after, he got a sensible job, but started to feel stuck. So now, when his company announces it's relocating to Dallas, Sandy sees it as an opportunity. He decides to move his family a little closer to the big city, to Corsicana. After they arrive, Sandy and Kay buy a historic home with Greek columns and a wraparound porch. Then they start trying to climb the social ladder. Sandy's dying for an invite to a supper club. Sachi, do you know what supper clubs are?
- [12:09]
Sachi Kol
I don't even like the word supper. Makes me think of someone who drinks milk with pasta. But no, I don't know what a supper club is. And I'm a little worried about what you're going to tell me.
- [12:19]
Sarah Haggie
Okay, so I'd also never heard of them before, but apparently they're popular in the South. It's when a private group gathers in a restaurant, rented venue, or someone's home for a meal. There's usually a theme and a curated menu. It's just an excuse to get together and congratulate themselves for being friends and knowing what we know about Corsicana gossip like crazy. Sandy would settle for an invite to the local wine society and Kay would like to join a book club. But invitations don't grow on trees. They're only extended to respected, active members of the community. So Sandy and Kay get involved around town. They both join the church, and Sandy becomes a deacon. Meanwhile, Kay opens a catering business. Over the next few years, the couple starts to make a name for themselves. They even win yard of the month a few times. But despite all their striving, or maybe because of it, the inner circle of Corsicana socialites aren't interested in welcoming Sandy and Kay into the fold. Sandy's too shy to carry on a conversation, and Kay doesn't wear the latest fashions. And she hasn't had any cosmetic work done. That's all the reason people might need to shun her from the quintillion. Corsicana's oldest and most prestigious book club.
- [13:35]
Sachi Kol
This is a wonderful reason to never speak to your neighbors, which I have always advocated. Just don't get to know them and then they can't reject you.
- [13:44]
Sarah Haggie
I agree. Then, in 1995, Sandy gets laid off. Finding new work isn't easy. He and Kay have to rely on donations from their church to help them through these hard times. But about three years later, Sandy gets a huge break. He lands a job as a payroll supervisor at Collins Street Bakery. Now that he's getting a second chance, he's hell bent on reaching the top, no matter the cost. It's late 2004, and Sandy's been working at Collins Street Bakery for about six years now. He makes a modest salary, but he's managed to cobble together a life close enough to his dream. He has a Rolex watch, he drives a Lexus, and he sips his coffee from fine china every morning. But he's still light years away from the fabulous wealth and social acceptance he's always craved. Sandy's struggling to fit in, and he can't figure out why. He's a hard worker and good at his job. A few years ago, he even helped the company digitize their accounting system. It was enough to get him a promotion to corporate controller, but not enough to make friends. He tries to be extra friendly to his co workers, complimenting them when he notices they've gotten a haircut or a new outfit. And they always seem to give him a friendly response. But he senses that it's only out of polite obligation. Sandy feels invisible. And that feeling is only made worse when he walks by the office of the new CEO, Bob McNutt. Bob's in his 40s. He's tall and balding and built like a Halloween skeleton. He recently took over the business from his dad, becoming the third generation McNutt to lead the bakery.
- [15:25]
Sachi Kol
I really think they missed an opportunity to name the bakery after themselves. McNutt Bakery. The branding does itself well.
- [15:34]
Sarah Haggie
You know how they say money talks, but wealth whispers? Well, Bob's wealth is a whisperin'. Even though the business brings in $35 million in fruitcake sales alone, Bob doesn't flaunt his fortune. He doesn't brag about giving to charity or flying on private jets. When he does talk about his world travels, he brings it all back to the bakery. He captivates his employees with tales of his visit to Costa Rica, where the bakery's pineapples are grown. Everyone adores Bob, except for Sandy, watching his co workers hang onto Bob's every word makes Sandy seethe with jealousy. One December day, Sandy's sitting at work feeling the financial crush of the holidays. He's at his breaking point and in his mind, not being paid enough for all the work he does for the bakery. So he decides it's time to take control of his destiny. He opens a desk drawer and zeroes in on a box of petty cash. He glances around and when he's sure no one's looking, grabs a wad of money. Every day after that, he expects someone to walk into his office and ask why there's cash missing. But no one ever does. A light bulb goes off in Sandy's head. Finally, he knows how to afford the fancier car he's been dreaming of. So a few weeks after he stole the bakery's cash, Sandy drives his car to a Lexus dealership in Dallas. He trades in his old model for a used but new to him gold sedan. He can't afford the payments, but he's got a plan and a new lease on life. He peels out of the dealership and rockets down Interstate 45. He finally has his dream car, and it's on Bob McNutt's dime. Sandy rolls down the windows and blasts Barbra Streisand. After today, no one's gonna rain on his. When Sandy gets home with his new car, he tells Kay it was a gift from a client he's been doing some freelance work for. Kay doesn't question him. Sandy's wanted to upgrade his Lexus for so long, when the bill comes a few weeks later, he kicks his plan into action. Sandy has unrestricted access to the bakery's electronic checkbook system. So he sits in front of his computer and types up a check for $20,000. He makes it out to Citibank, where he has his personal credit card. He hits enter and the software automatically cuts a check endorsed with Bob's signature. Then Sandy prints out and mails it to his credit card company. Collins Street Bakery has just paid for his Lexus. Sandy then goes back into the accounting program and covers his tracks. He clicks void and the check disappears. The only record of it is in the voided check folder. And no one is going to go looking there.
- [18:35]
Sachi Kol
I have had corporate cards before, and I have lived in such fear of misappropriating funds. And then I hear stories like this and I'm like, I should have bought a car.
- [18:43]
Sarah Haggie
You should have gone to more expensive restaurants. I can tell you that now.
- [18:46]
Sachi Kol
Yeah, that's for sure.
- [18:48]
Sarah Haggie
Well, at this point, Sandy's hidden the check, but he knows Citibank is still going to cash it. He's got to make it look like a legit business expense. So he types up another check for $20,000, the same amount of money he spent on his credit card. He makes this check out to one of the bakery's vendors, like, say, their raisin supplier. Except Sandy doesn't print or mail this check. He just saves it in the system. Now, if someone were to inspect the reports, it would look like Sandy accidentally wrote a check to Citibank but voided it and made a new one out to a vendor.
- [19:25]
Sachi Kol
That's kind of clever.
- [19:26]
Sarah Haggie
Yes, and of course, Sandy runs a risk of someone noticing that the Citibank check is the one that cleared. But nobody's looking at the accounts that closely. Everyone trusts Sandy. Still, he lays low for a while. And once he realizes that no one has noticed the money go missing, he goes hog wild. He repeats a scam over and over again. In the first year alone, he cuts more than $2 million in fraudulent checks. Sandy found his very own cheat code to the life of his dreams. But the money itself isn't enough. Sandy wants a spot at the top of the social pyramid, and he's going to get there by making all of Corsicana believe he's as rich as Bob McNutt. I feel like a legend. Now that Sandy can finally afford just about everything he's ever wanted, he starts making up for lost time. He puts almost $100,000 on his credit cards every month and pays it all off with company funds. He buys Armani clothes and Gucci shoes. He's such a regular at Neiman Marcus that he has a personal shopper there. She calls him Fruitcake. And Sandy can never have enough Rolexes. In 2006, about two years after he cut himself that first check, he buys five Rolexes in one day. And every few months, he brings home a new BMW Mercedes Benz.
- [21:03]
Sachi Kol
I do not find these kinds of displays of wealth interesting or compelling, but I bet it played really well in Corsicana.
- [21:12]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, it definitely attracts attention. And Sandy tells Kay that all this money is from freelance work. He's not sure if Kay buys this cover, but she doesn't ask too many questions. She loves being spoiled. And Sandy loves to spoil her. He buys her tons of new kitchenware from William Sonoma. And he buys so much jewelry from a store in Dallas that they drive samples over to him with armed guards so he can shop on his lunch breaks. He also pays for upgrades to their award winning yard Building a greenhouse and a vegetable garden, Sandy and Kay are making themselves impossible to ignore. They host elaborate dinner parties with themes like burgers and Bordeaux, where they show off their newly renovated kitchen and serve plates of veal and expensive bottles of wine. They also buy an adobe home in Santa Fe and invite their friends to visit via charterjet. And when they're not in Santa Fe, Sandy and Kay spend millions flying private to Martha's Vineyard, Napa and Aspen. Almost every weekend, Sandy tells everyone that the plane belongs to his rich cousin. This extravagant lifestyle unlocks a whole new world for Sandy and Kay. They're finally a part of high society. Sandy earns a spot at not just one, but multiple supper clubs. And K doesn't just get to join the Quintillion Book Club. She becomes its treasurer. Sandy's not sure if people like him for him or his money, but it doesn't matter. He's popular now and he can't help but go overboard. He buys a $7,000 cell phone, a $10,000 mattress and a nearly $60,000 Steinway piano. Plus he starts collecting ancient coins and 14 karat gold lighters. And he starts bringing his own bottles of wine to the Corsicana Country Club because their selection isn't up to his standards. Even Kay has to tell Sandy to pump the brakes when he buys her even more jewelry or when he rolls up in a Bentley. His annual salary is $55,000 a year, but he's spending a quarter million dollars every month.
- [23:22]
Sachi Kol
This is a lot of money to spend just to prove a point about a guy you don't like.
- [23:27]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, I mean, Sandy still can't shake his one sided rivalry with Bob McNutt. When Bob's wife arrives at a party wearing a Van Cleef and Arpels necklace, Sandy buys Kay an even bigger necklace from the same brand. Sandy even makes a point to outspend Bob at charity auctions, which is ironic because he's using Bob's own money. Sandy thinks he's fitting in. But people with real Money, like Bob McNutt, know that the truly wealthy don't act like this. In fact, Bob hardly notices Sandy at all, which is how Sandy's been able to get away with the scam for over four years now with seemingly no end in sight. It's a late aughts, about five years after Sandy's first illegal check, and Bob's in his office pouring over pages of financial reports. It's approaching the end of the fiscal quarter and once again, the bakery didn't reach its goals. For the past several years, the business keeps coming up short and no one can figure out why. They try everything to solve it. They run payroll audits and take inventory of the ingredients. They stop giving out raises and even lay people off. But nothing works. Through all of this, no one suspects Sandy, least of all Bob. To him, Sandy's just another employee. Bob hardly remembers his name. One day, Sandy stops by Bob's office and all he wants to do is talk about a recent trip he took on a private jet. Bob's just like, why are you telling me this? No matter how hard Sandy tries, he just doesn't make it on Bob's radar.
- [25:07]
Sachi Kol
How mortifying to steal from someone and not only do they not really notice.
- [25:10]
Sarah Haggie
But they don't even know who you are. He truly just is like, okay, dude.
- [25:14]
Sachi Kol
He's like, cool, get back to work.
- [25:17]
Sarah Haggie
But remember, Bob's a legacy CEO who's used to the way Collins street works. It'll take someone new, someone willing to ask tough questions, to finally uncover Sandy's perfect crime. That's when the scam will start to go stale. In 2011, Collins Street Bakery hires a new accounting clerk named Symmetric Walker. She's a former bank teller in her 30s. She's black with a petite build and caramel colored hair. She's good at her job and she probably likes the perks, like free samples. But Symmetric's supervisor, Sandy, is a little weird. One time he complained that Bob was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, even though Sandy's the one jetting off to Napa practically every weekend. Another time, he asks Symmetric to put an expensive looking watch in the company safe for him. She was curious about the watch, so she looked it up and was shocked to learn it cost $80,000.
- [26:15]
Sachi Kol
See, this is what I mean. Some people do not have inherent curiosity and it makes them get scammed faster. And people like this are the ones who survive because they do some light googling to find out why things don't smell right.
- [26:29]
Sarah Haggie
Yes, I see an expensive looking watch, I'm googling it right away, immediately. While Symmetric is clearly starting to notice that things are not adding up. And she obviously knows money has been tight at the bakery. Sure enough, when she reviews reports, she sees that some check numbers don't match. Someone tells her it's a glitch in the computer system, which is kind of suspicious considering Sandy has the only computer that can write checks. But Symmetric's new to the job, so she shrugs it off. As time goes on, she starts to get more comfortable and confident. In June of 2013, about two years after she started the job, she discovers a massive accounting error, one she can't ignore. She finds a photocopy of a check, but it's showing up in the accounting system as voided. Then she sees it was made out to a bank where the bakery doesn't have any accounts. And that's where her alarm bells go off. Symmetric brings a check to Sandy and asks if he can help her understand it. He starts to fidget and the color drains from his face. He looks like a ghost. Sandy tells her he'll look into it and get back to her, but Symmetra can tell that something is seriously wrong. She runs a report of other voided checks. It shows 16 discrepancies in the past eight months, totaling at least $250,000. Symmetry realizes where all the bakery's money is going. The fraud is coming from inside the house. Sandy is a thief. I love a whistleblower.
- [28:05]
Sachi Kol
I hope when she tells the company what's happening, they give her all the money he stole.
- [28:10]
Sarah Haggie
It's crazy that it was as simple as being like, hey, how many voided checks have there been? Yeah, well, Symmetric shares her findings with an executive at the company who loops in Bob. And when Bob learns what's been going on, he just says, well, that explains a lot. Now that Sandy's secret recipe for success is revealed, you he's about to get burned. The next day, Sandy gets called into a meeting with two executives. They show him copies of the fraudulent checks and ask him to explain. At first, Sandy shrugs and claims he doesn't know. So they ask him point blank, did you write these checks? Sandy probably knows that denying it seems silly. He's the only person in the office who could have done it. So he replies, quote, I must have. It's my job to write the checks here. But then when Sandy is asked to explain what happened, he shuts down and refuses to say anything else. He's fired on the spot and escorted to his desk to collect his things. Sandy's in shock. His nine year spending spree has finally come to an end. He's lost his job and his life as he knows it could soon be over. Sandy knows he's in deep shit and that he needs to hide the evidence. So he speeds home, swerves into his driveway and dashes inside. He barrels through the door and starts shoving jewelry, gold bars, diamonds and other valuables into giant bags. He pulls out a stash of Rolexes hidden in his air conditioning vents. And Kay grabs more than $60,000 in cash. She and Sandy shove the bags, at least £40 worth of luxury goods into their car. Then they hightail it for Austin, about two and a half hours away. That's where their daughter Allison lives. Once they get there, they stash everything in her safe. And then they flee to their home in Santa fe, more than 11 hours away.
- [30:11]
Sachi Kol
These are the two most selfish people in the world because now they're going to implicate their daughter in their nonsense and run away and leave her literally holding the bag.
- [30:21]
Sarah Haggie
Yes. Meanwhile, back in Corsicana, Collins Street Bakery has been trying to serve Sandy with a lawsuit and a restraining order. But they can't find him. So they finally hold a hearing without him. Sandy is repped by his lawyer who says he doesn't know where his client is. Sandy is accused of stealing more than $16 million over the last eight years. The bakery's lawyers demand that the bank freeze all of Sandy and Kay's accounts. They and they request a restraining order against Sandy. Not long after the FBI raids Sandy and Kay's home. All other neighbors stand outside and gawk as agents haul away crates of wine and boxes of designer goods. This is the scene from the beginning of our episode, Sachi.
- [31:07]
Sachi Kol
I would give anything to have been at the supper club that happened after Sandy and Kay got raided and all of the neighbors were just talking shit.
- [31:17]
Sarah Haggie
What a true gift to this community, you know? Well, when Sandy catches wind of the raid and the lawsuit, he knows he's in deep shit. So he heads back to Austin, unloads a safe and stuffs all his valuables in grocery bags. Sandy calls it his retirement account. He gives Kay and Allison some cash and tells him to hire a lawyer. Then he drives to a nearby park and scatters a bunch of his watches, jewelry and gold behind some trees. He even dumped some into the water. Sandy later says he knew it was all evidence of his crime and that he needed to get rid of it. But he apparently didn't do a great job because just a few hours later, an off duty cop from the University of Texas finds the evidence. Or at least some of it. Sixteen watches, a gold bar and two gold coins. There are still some things unaccounted for, though. One bag containing up to $3 million in jewelry has still never been found.
- [32:18]
Sachi Kol
Can you imagine being the person who finds a bag of $3 million worth of jewelry? They probably don't even know what they found. If they found it.
- [32:27]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, that is kind of my new dream. But Sandy and Kay then go back to their home In Corsicana, it seems like a strange move for a couple on the run. Maybe they've resigned themselves to giving up. Or maybe they're delusional enough to think they're in the clear. Either way, when they get home, they're greeted with a rude awakening. Their belongings have been removed and the locks have been changed. So Sandy and Kay break in. This triggers the alarm system and the cops show up. But luckily for Sandy and Kay, there's no warrant out for their arrest yet. The FBI is still putting together the case against them, so the cops let them stay. Sandy knows it's only a matter of time before he ends up in handcuffs. I feel like a legend. On August 12, 2013, the FBI knocks on Sandy's door. Sandy waits at a neighbor's house while the FBI loads more of his stuff, including a Steinway piano, into a truck and a haul it away. Finally, after five hours of waiting and watching, Sandy surrenders. He's under arrest. The jig is up. Two days later, K files for divorce. About a month after that, Sandy is criminally indicted. He's 64 years old and facing 10 counts of mail fraud and up to 200 years in prison. The indictment alleges that he wrote 888 fake checks over the course of the eight year scam. News of the drama has spread across Corsicana faster than a glaze over a hot fruitcake. It's the most exciting thing the town's ever seen and they've been gossiping about it for months. People wonder what's going to happen to Kay. She's gotten permission to stay at the house in Corsicana, but she doesn't have a car and she doesn't have any money. Since her and Sandy's bank accounts have been frozen, some people think she's been getting help from her daughter. At this point, Kay's let Sandy take all the blame. She claims she's as shocked as everyone else, but her neighbors aren't buying her act. Here's what one of them has to say about it in the Discovery documentary Fruitcake Fraud. If my husband had bought them a new Mercedes every few months, I would.
- [34:50]
Sachi Kol
Have known there was something up. I would guess that Kay had some suspicions, but the reality is that she liked the new Mercedes every few months, like she didn't want to ask those questions and now they're in trouble for it.
- [35:03]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, it really seems like Kay's in denial. Apparently she's been calling her book club members to see if she can still attend an upcoming event. But in February, five months After Sandy's indictment, reality comes knocking. Kay's kicked out of her house, and it's put up for sale. And a month after that, the government introduces a new indictment, this time with K's name all over it. The couple is hit with charges of money laundering, aiding and abetting unlawful activity, and making false statements to a bank.
- [35:34]
Sachi Kol
Bank.
- [35:34]
Sarah Haggie
That's in addition to Sandy's 10 counts of mail fraud. When Sandy and Kay's belongings go up for sale, it quickly becomes the event of the season in Corsicana. So many people show up to their house. The line wraps around the block. Bob walks up and down handing out treats. All the proceeds will go to Collins street to pay back some of what Sandy stole. Everyone's dying to see the goodies that their crooked neighbors treated themselves to on the bakery's dimensions. The house does not disappoint. Inside, there's gold and silver jewelry, several china cabinets, and what the local paper, the Corsicana sun, calls a quote, frighteningly large collection of Hummel figurines.
- [36:16]
Sachi Kol
I would also wait all night and all day to get into that property to look around. I get it.
- [36:23]
Sarah Haggie
Yes, I am very anti waiting in line, and I would wait in line for hours to get a glimpse. After eight years of living large, Sandy's now lost his beautiful home, his marriage, and his freedom. His imagined rival, Bob McNutt, is catering the fire sale on everything he owned. He's behind bars awaiting trial and has little hope of seeing the outside world maybe ever again. With nothing left to lose, he calls his lawyer and says it's time to settle. Not long after the estate sale, Sandy signs a plea deal admitting to his crimes. He says that Kay didn't know the true source of the money, but that she did know it wasn't legitimate. About a year later, Kay pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She says she, quote, deliberately closed her eyes. Sandy is sentenced to 10 years in prison, and Kay gets five years probation. After that, Sandy's friends and family stop talking to him. He ends up dying in prison in 2019.
- [37:28]
Sachi Kol
Okay. My God, that is a dark ending for this guy.
- [37:32]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, it is incredibly bleak. It's unclear what Kay is up to these days. Their daughter Allison is an accomplished chef. As for Symmetric, she went on to become the VP of finance at Collins Street. Sachi, can you please read what Bob McNutt has taken to saying about Sandy?
- [37:50]
Sachi Kol
Yeah, he said, you know, one of the real tragedies for Corsicana is we've lost arguing. Arguably our most sophisticated watch collector and also the most sophisticated Collector of fine furs for men and women. Wow. I hate Bob. I hate him.
- [38:06]
Sarah Haggie
He didn't really have to do anything, and he beat Sandy at a game he wasn't even trying to play.
- [38:11]
Sachi Kol
He didn't even know they were playing the game.
- [38:14]
Sarah Haggie
As for Collins Street Bakery, it is still rolling in the dough. They continue to ship about 2 million pounds of fruitcake all over the world every year. Sachi, this was not an uncommon scam as far as the stealing part goes, but I would say this is one of the bigger losers we've covered.
- [38:36]
Sachi Kol
Yeah, I mean, it's true across the board for a lot of the episodes that we do that the person doing the scam usually is doing it because they just want someone to like them. But this one is so direct and obvious. Like, all this. All this fraud. All of these scams to get people to like you. And it probably would have worked better if he was just, like, maybe a nicer guy.
- [38:58]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah. It seems like he just didn't understand how to connect with people at all. Like, there's just, like, nothing in him that knew that, you know, friendship wasn't transactional and that you have to have the right vibe for people to like you. And I feel like Sandy just had bad vibes all the way through.
- [39:15]
Sachi Kol
Cursed, I guess. The part that I am so stuck on is how people weren't even really looking at him because he was so uninteresting to everybody. Like, Bob couldn't be bothered to even really know his name.
- [39:28]
Sarah Haggie
This is the part I can't really wrap my head around for a town that loves gossip so much, where they're constantly talking about everyone and how people did this or that and then that's it. If I was a part of this community, I would have been so relentless in trying to figure out how this guy is running.
- [39:47]
Sachi Kol
Well, Sarah, this is what separates common gossips to gossips like you and I, because we will look into it. We'll find out.
- [39:55]
Sarah Haggie
But also, as someone who did work with someone who was stealing money from a company I worked at doing retail in high school, I knew something was up, and I did not ask questions because the girl who was stealing money bought me Starbucks and McDonald's at lunch all the time.
- [40:13]
Sachi Kol
Okay, wow, you are really revealing yourself here. You are so easily bought.
- [40:17]
Sarah Haggie
I mean, here's the thing. It was a retail job. It was minimum wage. I was a teenager. I knew this girl was a liar and a fraud. I didn't know how. Like, what am I gonna do? Investigate? They found out at the end of the day.
- [40:27]
Sachi Kol
That's really why I like to treat you to lunch periodically so you keep your beautiful mouth shut about me.
- [40:32]
Sarah Haggie
Yeah, I think I do understand the townspeople a little more. I was doing that for McDonald's and Starbucks. They're riding on private jets to Santa Fe and Aspen and shit. Yeah, I would keep my mouth shut. I'd be like, this guy is weird as hell. But you know what? He's kind of generous and I don't really like him, but he's paying me off for my friendship. So sure, why not?
- [40:53]
Sachi Kol
I guess the lesson of today's episode is that if you're gonna be a scam artist, you better be sure that you effectively buy friendship.
- [41:02]
Sarah Haggie
Yes, exactly.
- [41:04]
Sachi Kol
He should have bought Symmetric a big watch.
- [41:06]
Sarah Haggie
That would have solved it all. See, Symmetric has honor and dignity. That would not have bought her off.
- [41:11]
Sponsor/Advertisement Voice
Right.
- [41:11]
Sarah Haggie
She would have been like, no, no, thank you. Sorry, I forgot. She's not like us. Bought by McDonald's and Starbucks. No, Symmetric is kind of an angel.
- [41:27]
Sachi Kol
Loving. Scamflancers get exclusive episodes and early access to new ones. All ad free on Wondry Plus. Join now in the Wondry app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Before you go, help us out by taking a Quick survey@wondry.com survey.
- [41:47]
Sarah Haggie
This is have youe Cake and Steal It Too. I'm Sarah Hagke.
- [41:51]
Sachi Kol
And I'm Sachi Kol. If you have a tip for us on a story that you think we should cover, please email us@scamfluencerswondry.com the idea for this story actually came from a listener of the show. Thanks, Maren. We use many sources in our research. A few that were particularly helpful were Just Desserts, written by Katie vine for Texas Monthly and Janet Jacobs reporting for the Corsicana Daily Sun.
- [42:12]
Sarah Haggie
Liz Galalis wrote this episode. Additional writing by us, Sachi Cole and Sarah Haggie. Sarah Enny is our story editor and producer and Eric Thurm is our story editor. Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Sound design by James Morgan. Additional audio assistance provided by Adrian Tapia. Our music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Freeson Sync. Our managing producers are Desi Blalock and Matt Gant. Janine Cornello and Stephanie Jens are our development producers. Our associate producers are Charlotte Miller and Lexie Pirie. Our producers are John Reed, Yasmin Ward and Kate Young. Our senior producers are Ginny Blum and Jen Swan. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer, Beckman Marshall Louie and Erin o' Flaherty. For Wonder.