Michael Bachman (3:41)

Snap sn.

Flynn Washington (3:56)

Now, have you ever wanted to turn back the clock and have another go at life? Go back to that specific time and place where you could have made a different choice, Turn things around, and you snap out of it?

Michael Bachman (4:09)

Because it's not like you can actually.

Flynn Washington (4:11)

Be young again and get a do over. That's not how this works. Right. Right. Step judgment.

Narrator/Interviewer (4:34)

Michael Bachman was cruising down a highway in Washington state behind the wheel of his new red Pontiac Firebird Trans am.

Michael Bachman (4:42)

I got pulled over. Police officer had said, you know, this car is a stolen car or has reported stolen. So, you know, what's up with that? And I was kind of like, what? It was reported stolen. I got arrested. They took me to the whatcom county jail. And it was there that one of the officers said, yeah, if your dad hadn't called and told us, we wouldn't have known.

Narrator/Interviewer (5:07)

That's when Michael learned how the cops knew the car was stolen. His own dad had turned him in.

Michael Bachman (5:13)

That really hurt. It was like a. Like a major betrayal that I felt. I mean, I don't know what I showed on the outside, but on the inside, I was furious. I was steaming. I was so mad. And I just couldn't believe he would do that.

Narrator/Interviewer (5:32)

After a few days in jail, Michael was released. He was in his early 20s, not living at home with his parents, precisely because he kept getting into this kind.

Michael Bachman (5:41)

Of trouble, which was kind of the path. Like, you know, I got a car, and as soon as I got the car, that equated to freedom, and then I was gone.

Narrator/Interviewer (5:49)

At that point, Michael's dad was certain his son was part of a stolen car ring.

Michael Bachman (5:54)

It really wasn't a stolen car ring like that. It wasn't like I picked a lock and took off and hotwired someone's car or something. It was a little more deceitful than that.

Narrator/Interviewer (6:07)

Michael would show up at a car dealership presenting himself as someone he's not.

Michael Bachman (6:11)

Of course, I didn't have a job, but I would make a paycheck stub that said I did. I didn't have a down payment, but I would write a check as if there was money to do that. Me and the car would be gone by the time they figured out that, oh, they used a fake id. Oh, it's so called. Paycheck stub was like, you know, falsified.

Narrator/Interviewer (6:31)

Then the cycle would start. Michael would get caught, arrested, locked up for a few days, and then let go.

Michael Bachman (6:38)

You know, I didn't Learn I got caught multiple times. It wasn't like once or twice. It was like multiple times over. Multiple times over, multiple times.

Narrator/Interviewer (6:49)

The next time Michael talked with his dad was nearly two years later when his dad called him out of the blue.

Michael Bachman (6:54)

And I answered, hey, you know, I'm still alive. And he had stated, hey, you know, holidays are coming. Your mom would really like to see you. So if there's any way that you can, you know, come home and see your mom, you know, she'd appreciate it. And I would appreciate it too. I think I said, I'll try. And then I think there was an awkward silence and I hung up.

Narrator/Interviewer (7:24)

By then, Michael had a couple of warrants out for his arrest for, you.

Michael Bachman (7:28)

Know, not doing the probations. One in Clark county and one in Washington County.

Narrator/Interviewer (7:34)

So there was no way he was going home to his parents. He knew they would be disappointed.

Michael Bachman (7:39)

Like, I didn't like that that was what I had become. Like, I don't want to be that person anymore. I've got to. I have to do something different. And I was looking for an escape. I was looking for an escape from the life that I created. I had been thinking about, what can I do? I tried to get a job when I first got out of corrections, and there really wasn't any jobs that, you know, were gonna hire me because I had crimes like theft and crimes of dishonesty.

Narrator/Interviewer (8:14)

And that's when an opportunity presented itself. Although he didn't know it quite yet.

Michael Bachman (8:20)

I was living with a friend in Portland and my friend's cousin, younger cousin, was going to school and my friend had said, hey, could you please make sure he goes to class? Like, just if you can get him to his first class, like, just walk with him to his first class and make. He doesn't like, you know, ditch it, ditch out and go out the back doors. So I did. I took him to school.

Narrator/Interviewer (8:46)

The school, Grant High School happened to be Michael's alma mater. He'd graduated from there 12 years back. He knew exactly how to get there.

Michael Bachman (8:56)

And once I got my friend, his name is DeAndre, once I got him to his classroom and I saw him go in there and sit down, I told him, I'll be back at 2:30 to pick you up. And he was like, okay, the bell is rung. Everybody, you know, everyone's running to their classes and this and that. And as I came down the hallway, the principal, vice principal said, hey, you get to class. And I was kind of like. And then he followed me. And so I'm like, this is awkward. So I pretended like I was going into a classroom. I actually stepped into a classroom. And then I apologized for disrupting the classroom and I came back out and then I left out of the school. At 2:30, I came back to pick DeAndre up from class, and the same vice principal is walking up and down the hallways, and he said something to the effect of, you just love being in the hallway. You just don't want to go to class, do you? And then the next day, it was almost a repeat because I took DeAndre to school again and the same vice principal is walking up and down. And I said, I know, I know, get to class, get to class. And he was like, yeah, smart mouth. Get to class. Somewhere in my brain I thought, you know what? I could go to class. And only this time I could do it right. Like, I could actually, you know, pay attention and I could actually learn something and actually earn, you know, grades that would get me to college.

Narrator/Interviewer (10:35)

When he was a teenager at Grant High School, he wasn't that kind of student.

Michael Bachman (10:40)

I was kind of the kid that sat in the back if he could and tried not to try not to get noticed. I was never comfortable in my own skin. So I was adopted by a white family at a time when I think it was in the newspaper even, that my mom and dad were maybe among the first in the Portland metro area, if not Oregon, to adopt a black child. I didn't fit in with white kids. I didn't fit in with black kids. I kind of didn't really fit in anywhere. But school wasn't my thing. Academics weren't my thing. I was kind of disinterested in pretty much everything other than choir. I think choir is actually what got me through high school. So I would miss first and second period, third period, but I'd make it to fourth and fifth period because that was the choir periods. When you're standing on stage, you just kind of become the song. You become the emotion of the song. You kind of like, just allow yourself to really dive into that. And that was the only time I really felt good.

Narrator/Interviewer (11:59)

Michael graduated from Grant high school in 1986, but with a low GPA and no college prospects.

Michael Bachman (12:07)

So if I can go back and redo that like last year, like, just go back and redo your senior year and just get like, all A's, then you'll be good to go as far as going to college and you can get a scholarship and go to a really good school and. And like, turn your life around. And it just kind of Became like a can you do it? Kind of thing. Almost like a challenge in a way. But it was like, can you really do this? Could you really go to Grant and do your redo your senior year?

Narrator/Interviewer (12:34)

He thought about his parents, the way they tried to nudge him onto the right path. He knew his dad had turned him in so that Michael would stop making bad decisions.

Michael Bachman (12:44)

The thing I was trying to do was to try and somehow get back into their good graces. And I thought, you know, if I just can go to school, go to college, then they'll be proud.

Narrator/Interviewer (12:56)

Of course, there are other ways to make your parents proud. Michael could have kept trying to find a job. He could have signed up for community college. But this big plot seemed to be about finding some sort of redemption.

Michael Bachman (13:09)

In hindsight, that that's what it feels like. What was really going on is just this trying to find my way back. And so it just kind of sat on my brain all that whole weekend, like, well, if you were gonna go back to school, what would you have to do? So I created a transcript that said I went to Beverly Hills High School and that I had, like, a 3.9 something GPA.

Narrator/Interviewer (13:36)

He typed in the name he'd come up with.

Michael Bachman (13:38)

DeAndre D' Angelo was the name that I used to.

Narrator/Interviewer (13:41)

Which has the same first name as his friend's teenage cousin, DeAndre.

Michael Bachman (13:47)

It was his idea, actually. He suggested it, and I think he said something like, it'd be cool. Well, we can be like double Ds or something like that. I think I went to. At that time, they called it Kinko's. And I just sort of started copying and pasting, and next thing I know, I kind of, like, made a transcript, went and got an engraved embosser stamp and put that on there, and then put it in an envelope. I know by creating a transcript and this and that, this is really no different than creating, like, a paycheck stub or doing something to that effect. I think in my mind, I felt like the ends would justify the means. Ah, well, if you're using it for ultimately for a good thing, then is it really a bad thing? You know, expecting a different result because you're doing it for a different reason. And I don't know why I thought that was a good idea.

Narrator/Interviewer (14:43)

Michael or DeAndre D', Angelo, from here on out, walked into the school office, transcript in hand.

Michael Bachman (14:52)

And they were like, yeah, take this form home and have your parents fill it out and you can bring it back. And surprisingly, they didn't need to meet anybody. They didn't need to, like, meet my folks. They were like. They took it. I went to see one of the counselors. The counselor helped me pick classes. And the next thing I know, I was in school. Getting in was easy. Actually. Showing up the first day was terrifying. So I got up that morning, and I felt sick. Physically sick. And I was like, I'm not going. I can't do this. I can't do this. DeAndre was like, come on, man. Come on. Let's go. Let's go.

Narrator/Interviewer (15:32)

The other DeAndre, the actual high school student, DeAndre.

Michael Bachman (15:37)

I think I changed clothes, like, three times. Cause, like, I wore one thing. I was like, nah, I can't wear this. This makes me look. So I took it off, and I put on something else, and then I put on something else.

Narrator/Interviewer (15:47)

He settled for blue jeans, a white T shirt and white Nikes, A black backpack, and a Beverly Hills High class ring on his finger, purchased online for $69.

Michael Bachman (15:59)

We got to the school, pulled up.

Narrator/Interviewer (16:01)

Parked, and DeAndre wasn't driving just any car.

Michael Bachman (16:05)

I had a. I want to make sure. I say, I think it was a 1999 red Chevrolet Camaro. It would have been brand new at the time.

Narrator/Interviewer (16:16)

Michael had acquired it about four months back.

Michael Bachman (16:19)

I had gotten it the way I always got cars, using fake information. I took a deep breath and was like, okay, here goes nothing. And walked up the steps and into the school.

Narrator/Interviewer (16:44)

It was one thing for Michael to try to turn back time and redo his senior year of high school, but to do it at his former high school.

Michael Bachman (16:53)

I saw at least three teachers that I remember being there from when I was at Grant the first time. And one of them was, like, my first period teacher. I was like, oh, wow. They're gonna know. They're gonna know. This is not good. Okay. Figure out where the exits are in case you have to run out of school and get out of here. I remember thinking that. But when I went into class and sat down, nobody said a word. No one looked at me like, who are you? Or you seem like you might be older than the rest of us. Or none of that happened. But I would say the first week of school, it was really difficult because each day I thought, it's just a matter of time.

Flynn Washington (17:59)

When we return, how long can DeAndre d' Angelo walk the halls of his former high school before someone recognizes him? Stay tuned. As the weather cools, I'm digging clothing staples that are warm, durable, built to last, and quince delivers with pieces that'll carry you through the season. Because Quince has the kind of fall clothes you'll actually want to wear on repeat. Like 100% Mongolian cashmere from just $60 classic fit denim and real leather and wool outerwear that looks sharp and holds up. And I love stuff I can throw on and instantly look good and instantly feel good because I look good and it was my birthday or at least someday it would be my birthday. So my me gift to me was my Quint soft supple leather Harrington jacket. It's sharp, it's on point because Quints cuts out the middlemen to deliver premium quality at half the cost of similar brands. What is chilly need more than a tea? Where is my Go to Quint's Flow knit shirt I've had forever but still looks like I just pulled it out of the pack package. Layer up this fall with pieces that feel as good as they Look. Go to quint.com snap for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U I N C E.com snap free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com snap did you know there's an online cannabis company that ships federally legal THC right to your door? I'm talking about Mood.com's incredible line of functional gummies. You can get 20% off your first order@mood.com with promo code Snap. Best of all, not only is every Mood product backed by a hundred day satisfaction guarantee, but as I mentioned, listeners get 20% off their first order with code SNAP. So head to mood.com, find the functional gummy that matches exactly what you're looking for and let Mood help you discover your perfect mood. And don't forget to use promo code SNAP when you check out to save 20% on your first order. Welcome back to Snap Judgment. School Days the Hall Pass Episode when Last we left, 31 year old Michael Backman had created a false high school transcript, come up with a new name, and walked up the steps of his very own alma mater pretending to be a 17 year old transfer student from Beverly Hills. Just one tiny problem. On day one, he recognizes his first period teacher from his first time at Grant High. But will she recognize him? Snap Judgment.

Narrator/Interviewer (21:05)

No one recognized him the second week either. As DeAndre D' Angelo went from his Global Studies class to his English and Spanish classes, his nerves settled. In fact, he took to sitting in the front of the class.

Michael Bachman (21:19)

Yeah, this time I was sitting in the front or close to it, participating, engaging in discussion. I really felt empowered to I really felt empowered to be more than what I was the first time. I was determined to not be that student that I was before. And so I think that for teachers, when they see a student that wants to participate, they feel like they like that. Because, like, a lot of students like to sit there and hide. I just felt, you know, like, encouraged to speak up. I felt encouraged to participate and to engage others. After a while, it didn't feel risky. It felt. Felt good to. It felt good like someone actually asked me my opinion. They actually wanted me to. They actually wanted to hear what I have to say. And so I took that, and I think I ran with that.

Narrator/Interviewer (22:16)

DeAndre quickly fell in with the other DeAndres group of friends like CJ and Steve, the basketball guys, who didn't ask many questions and thought the new kid with the red car was pretty cool.

Michael Bachman (22:28)

And that car became very, very popular at school. You know, it's a magnet. Everybody would come to the car and they'd all sit there and they'd want to play the music real loud. And people would be like, oh, yeah, he's so cool. DeAndre D', Angelo, he's so cool. You know, I felt good. Cause it was kind of like when I would sing a song, I'd become that character. And people liked the character, but they didn't like me. They just liked, you know, the person I had made up to.

Narrator/Interviewer (22:59)

Anyone who asked. His rich parents were going through a divorce, so he was staying with a rich aunt in Portland.

Michael Bachman (23:05)

I'd be like, yeah, I live with them, but, you know, I'm related to Diana Ross. And then folks would be like, oh, that's really awesome. I loved Motown and Michael Jackson and Diana ross in the 80s were huge. A few other classmates had said, hey, you should be on student council. And I was like, oh, I couldn't be on student council. I don't know if I know enough about student council to do that, but. And one of the teachers, a teacher that taught government class, was like, yeah, I think you'd be great on student council. And so I went to a couple of the meetings.

Narrator/Interviewer (23:46)

Before he knew it, DeAndre had tapped into an activist spirit he didn't know he had.

Michael Bachman (23:50)

And I was advocating that all students ought to be able to leave campus for lunch, especially for those who had, like, the two periods off.

Narrator/Interviewer (23:59)

He got the campus bookstore to start a book lending program.

Michael Bachman (24:03)

It's our bookstore, so if a person needs to borrow the book, not necessarily purchase it for the year, but borrow it. You should have a lending program.

Narrator/Interviewer (24:12)

He Campaigned for students not to have to pay for their own ID cards.

Michael Bachman (24:17)

Because we're required to have it, so why do we have to pay for it? That whole time, I would have said, you know, I'm trying to not be detected, not be noticed. And yet I did everything under the sun to be noticed.

Narrator/Interviewer (24:31)

One day, On a whim, DeAndre went up to the choir room.

Michael Bachman (24:36)

Maybe just out of nostalgia, I heard them up there practicing and kind of sat through a concert choir.

Narrator/Interviewer (24:45)

DeAndre felt that familiar urge to be on stage.

Michael Bachman (24:49)

I asked the director, Ms. Jarbo, I asked her if there was any room to join the choir. And she was like, yeah, you could audition for us right now if you want to. And I was like, oh. And come to find out, she meant you had to sing in front of the whole choir. And so I did. When I think of home, I think of a place where there's love overflowing. And that's how I got into choir. A month in, I was feeling really good. I was in choir. I was doing well in the classes. Everything was going well. I felt like I was a positive influence on others. For the first time ever, I was happy for the first time in a long time. But then, on the other hand, I was still doing stuff that I shouldn't have been. So I was living a double life.

Narrator/Interviewer (25:56)

Michael had a side gig. He'd been doing it for years.

Michael Bachman (26:00)

I was making fake IDs for people or making documents so they could go down. At that time, you could go to Oregon DMV with, like, a birth certificate and get a real ID. So they weren't actually fake IDs, but they were based off of fraudulent paperwork.

Narrator/Interviewer (26:17)

Michael, as Michael, had a friend or a contact, this guy who had filled.

Michael Bachman (26:21)

Such requests, like, someone would say, I'll give you $200 if you'll make me a birth certificate so I can get an id.

Narrator/Interviewer (26:27)

This friend would then go to Michael, who would turn around a fake birth certificate in exchange for a cut of the money.

Michael Bachman (26:33)

I didn't want to. I felt like I had to.

Narrator/Interviewer (26:37)

And this offered him anonymity. He rarely met the people he made documents for.

Michael Bachman (26:42)

I told myself, you know, it's not like we're hurting anybody. It's not like I'm selling drugs. I know that went through my head a lot. I know I justified it that way at that time. You know, when I look back on it, I just, you know, I know that. That that answer falls really, really flat. So it was difficult. It was difficult because I had that fight going on, like I know this is wrong, and I'm trying to do right, but I have to do wrong in order to do right.

Narrator/Interviewer (27:15)

One day, Michael ran into an old childhood friend.

Michael Bachman (27:19)

She was one of my very best friends. She lived, like, three blocks away from where we did. And she had said, you need to call your mom. That's all she said. And she just kind of, like, walked away. And so that's what prompted me to call. My mom seemed different. She seemed only to care about, you know, are you eating? Are you okay? Are you healthy? Do you. You're not homeless, are you? You know, you have a place to live? She was very careful not to ask, like, so what are you doing? You know, or anything like that. And probably because she didn't want me to lie to her, so she didn't ask any question that I would have to turn around and lie to her about. I mean, I asked questions of her, like, how are you? How, you know, how's dad? How's, you know, how's everybody? You know? And she'd say things like, well, you know, they all miss you. And I was like, gosh, you know, I realized just how much I had separated myself from them. I just. I just felt sad. I felt really bad. The things I was doing pushed everybody away. And that was what I was doing, just pushing everybody away. I tried not to show that on the phone, but it was pretty emotional for me. I think that's part of the reason why the conversation was kind of short. I thought of all the things I had gained with this DeAndre d' Angelo and did not recognize just everything that I had lost, and it was completely of my own making.

Narrator/Interviewer (28:55)

But the next day, DeAndre D', Angelo, the popular kid with the red Camaro and the beautiful singing voice, who also happened to be related to Diana Anna Ross, was back at Grant high. Now at two months in, he had straight A's and a 3.8 GPA. He says he didn't cheat on his schoolwork.

Michael Bachman (29:14)

No, no. So because, like, DeAndre Bradley and C.J. and Steven and a few others, because we did hang out all the time, you know, there was the inevitable time when you had to do your homework. And then they would always ask me, well, what does this mean? What does that mean? I don't know. So we would just kind of explore the chapter together. So we were doing homework kind of as a group, and they played basketball, so they had to do their homework or they couldn't play. And I didn't want to be responsible for four or five guys like not doing their homework. Like, I didn't want. I didn't go there to harm anybody. I didn't go to the school to harm anybody. I actually went there to get good grades so I could go to college. That's what was in my head.

Narrator/Interviewer (30:05)

Of all the guys, C.J. in particular, became a pretty good friend.

Michael Bachman (30:09)

C.J. was really cool. He had a great sense of humor, like a Kevin Hart type sense of humor. Super funny, super talented.

Narrator/Interviewer (30:18)

They would hang out after school shooting hoops, playing video games, always at the other DeAndre's house.

Michael Bachman (30:25)

And so there was one time where CJ kind of point blank was like, do you live here? Because you're always here. Like, I mean, like, you know, it doesn't matter if it's a weekday, if it's a weekend holiday. Like, you're always here, you know? He said, so, do you live here? I mean, you can tell me if you do. I don't care, you know, like, but it just seems weird that you're, like, always there. And at the time, it was like, you know, if. If I want to continue lying to him, then I'm gonna have to find somewhere else to be. And when he said, I don't care, I just was curious when he said that. There is something about the way he said it, and there was something about where I felt that was coming from, that it was like, gosh, you know, you're kind of like a friend of mine. Like, you're. I mean, obviously he thought he was friends with DeAndre D', Angelo, right? But inside myself, I felt like, gosh, you know, you kind of deserve to know. And, you know, because he's been a good friend. And so I just took a chance, and I think I told him everything. I think I told him, I'm not 17. I think I told him everything. He kind of laughed and he was like, bro, that's cool. That is so cool. And I did not expect that from him. Him. He looked over and he said, look, he said, you want me to keep that to myself? And I was like, would you? And he said, yeah, yeah, that's between us. And he never told anybody. I was a huge relief. It was like, I can actually be myself. It was a huge relief. But over the next couple of days after that, he didn't ask so much. Why? That wasn't really one of the questions he asked, but he did want to know how I felt. He was really curious, like, so do you feel like you're, you know, part of the class? Do you feel like you're One of us. Do you, you know, is it cool? Like, you know? And I told them the truth. I said, yeah, I really do. I walk like them, I talk like them, I dress like them. And I felt like I was one of them because they were so welcoming and welcomed me into their group. They treated me like I was one of the. One of the guys. But I knew all along, like, you're not 17, dude, so you can't hang out like that. You can't hang out like that. You know, it's one thing to play video games or basketball with some of those guys. It's another thing to be at a party with, you know, girls and that sort of thing. You have to draw the line somewhere.

Narrator/Interviewer (33:23)

And he says that's where Michael drew the line for DeAndre d' Angelo. When it came to romantic relationships with students at Grant High.

Michael Bachman (33:32)

I was not going to date anyone in high school. I did not go to, like, school parties, and I didn't do those types of things. So I didn't put myself in a position to where I would have a romantic relationship or date anybody. That was just not why I was there. I knew how old I was, and I knew how old everyone around me was. And I know that, you know, my thinking is messed up, you know, being there as an adult, but I knew I was an adult, and so there was no way that I was gonna have that type of interaction with a minor.

Narrator/Interviewer (34:12)

As if life for DeAndre couldn't get any better, he was tapped to lead the school choir in Portland's annual Christmas concert.

Michael Bachman (34:20)

They call it the Grotto. It's a huge holiday event, and Grant is a staple. They've been doing this for. For decades, and super important to the Grant community and to the church. It's an honor. It was a really big honor.

Narrator/Interviewer (34:36)

Back when he was a teenager in choir, he'd been on the same stage for the Grotto.

Michael Bachman (34:41)

I was in the choir in the.

Narrator/Interviewer (34:43)

Back, and now he took center stage.

Michael Bachman (34:47)

Ms. Jarbo is, like, off to the side conducting, and, you know, we've got our pianist there playing. The choir is all around me.

Narrator/Interviewer (34:57)

The spotlight was on him, I think.

Michael Bachman (34:59)

Three television cameras there as well. Then a room of probably several hundred people watching. I kind of stepped forward from the choir to the microphone.

Narrator/Interviewer (35:11)

He began singing O Holy Night.

Michael Bachman (35:14)

I was kind of just kind of lost in the moment, and it was just kind of overwhelming. It was like I was overwhelmed.

Narrator/Interviewer (35:23)

He could hear the choir behind him.

Michael Bachman (35:25)

I wasn't nervous to sing. I've never, never been nervous to sing in front of people. But I was certainly in awe of the moment. I was feeling like a euphoria.

Narrator/Interviewer (35:44)

When the performance was done, the room erupted in applause. Even the cameramen were clapping.

Michael Bachman (35:52)

I really believed that I had reached a place that Michael Bachman didn't have to exist anymore. I felt like I really reached this place where I've got the respect of my peers, if you will. I had the respect of the teachers. I had the respect of the community. And to some extent, and I felt like, you know what? We don't need Michael Backman anymore. You know, Michael could just go away. I felt that not only could DeAndre take over, you know, 8:30 to 3:00 o', clock, but after 3:00 clock and weekends too, it felt like things were coming to that point. And then two weeks later, you know, after we did the Grotto, everything fell apart.

Flynn Washington (37:00)

When we return, it's time for DeAndre D' Angelo or Michael Bachman to face reality. Stay tuned.

Sponsor/Advertiser Voice (37:16)

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Flynn Washington (38:27)

Welcome back to Snap Judgment, the Hall Pass episode. My name is Glen Washington, and when last we left, Michael Baklin was on top of the world. He just won over his high school teachers. He'd won over his peers. He just led the school choir in the biggest performance of the year. He convinced everyone that he was the upstanding, overachieving student he'd set out to be. But what may be his downfall is that Michael Backman even convinces himself that he's DeAndre D'. Angelo.

Michael Bachman (39:03)

I was in class. Everything was kind of fine. There wasn't anything strange that went on. It was just regular day. And they. They had said, oh, yeah, Principal Simpson wants to see you. I didn't feel strange going down to his office. I just was like, oh, okay.

Narrator/Interviewer (39:20)

As a member of student government, DeAndre was used to the principal calling him into his office.

Michael Bachman (39:26)

And I went down to his office, and he had some small talk. And then he said, hey, I want your help in identifying somebody. I'm curious if you know them or not. And he pulled out a 1986 yearbook and opened it up, and he pointed at my picture and says, do you know him? I was looking at myself with, you know, the way I looked as a senior in high school. Curly hair, kind of a shy smile, kind of looking off to the side a little bit. And I said, yeah. I said, that's me. And he said, yeah, I know. And he said, unfortunately. He said, you know, I had to call the school police. He goes, and so I want to give you a moment to compose yourself if you need it. And I was just crushed. They didn't handcuff me or anything like that, but they did take me out of the building, and I got to get in the police car, and we went off to the. To the county jail. You know, at that point in my brain, I thought, why did you think that this was a good idea? You had to know this was not gonna work. What do you mean? A grown man went back to high school. You know, what kind of weirdo does that? You know, what kind of person does that? And that was me. You know, I'm that person.

Narrator/Interviewer (41:05)

To this day, Michael doesn't know who tipped off the school. His best guess? A fellow alumni who was in choir with him in 1986 and saw the Grotto performance on TV, or even in person.

Michael Bachman (41:18)

And by getting caught, it's like the emperor with no clothes. You finally realize you have no clothes. And you have to face that.

Narrator/Interviewer (41:27)

The next time Michael talked to his parents was when he called them from Washington County Jail. It was time to come clean.

Michael Bachman (41:35)

So, you know, I've really messed up, and, you know, I'd like for you to hear it from me, because you're probably gonna see it on tv. I kind of blurted it all out. It went well, actually. I mean, as well as it could, given the circumstances. They were appreciative that they knew something was coming. And surprisingly, to me, they were very sympathetic, and they came to visit me.

Narrator/Interviewer (42:01)

Of course, the story of 31 year old Michael Bachman, pretending to be a high school student and his very own alma mater made it to the news. So did the red Camaro.

Michael Bachman (42:12)

I know, I remember it was kind of ironic because the car still kind of took center stage as the news cameras showed the tow truck take the car away. So they took me away, and they took the car away, too.

Narrator/Interviewer (42:28)

The story was so tantalizing that even Connie Chung from 2020 came to town.

Michael Bachman (42:34)

Good evening, we welcome you to 20 20. Monday. I was in the Washington County Jail watching that interview on tv.

Sponsor/Advertiser Voice (42:42)

It's one of the most unbelievable deceptions we've come across.

Narrator/Interviewer (42:46)

Connie Chung had interviewed Michael and she'd interviewed his dad, Bill Backman.

Michael Bachman (42:51)

We tried to give him the best possible home we could, the most support we could give any child, whether he's biological or adopted.

Narrator/Interviewer (42:59)

From the TV room in Washington county jail, Michael understood why his dad had agreed to talk.

Michael Bachman (43:06)

My folks were worried that I was in some big trouble. And so I think they felt that talking to Connie Chung, that perhaps they could tell a different story. They wanted whoever might watch, you know, that 2020 episode to know that this is a real person who's troubled, who has a family that, you know, is standing by them, as tough as that is. I was a very selfish, self centered, deceptive person at that time. And, you know, my parents were loving. So it's not because I had like a broken home or a terrible home or anything like that.

Narrator/Interviewer (43:54)

But there was one thing that happened when Michael was a kid that always stuck with him.

Michael Bachman (44:00)

So I had a sister, and I don't. She wasn't a blood sister, but we were both adopted at the same time. And when she was about 7 or 8, and I would have been about 7 or 8 at that time, too, they sent her back. I didn't realize that she had issues that, you know, my folks were not equipped to deal with. And I didn't see the fact that they sent her back. They undid the adoption because she needed care that they weren't able to provide. And I figured, like, you know, it's just a matter of time before I get sent back to. I think I carried that, like, to the extreme. Like, I think I did things wondering, like, how far can I push before they tell me, okay, you're not gonna be able to live with us anymore, we're not gonna be your parents anymore, we're gonna send you back, you know, to the adoption agency. So in my mind, I was like, there's no point in trying really hard to Behave. There's no point in trying really hard to please because you're just gonna get sent back.

Narrator/Interviewer (45:09)

Michael watched on as his dad came to his defence on national television.

Michael Bachman (45:14)

Why are you willing to give him another chance? You don't give up. Cause there's a chance. What if he's not lying this time and it makes a difference? I felt like the biggest idiot ever. And I could use a different word, but I'll stick with idiot. And all of the guys, like, you know, you're in. It's jail, right? So there's inmates with you, and they're all watching it too. So you never have your life laid bare. I mean, good lord. Interestingly enough, though, every one of those folks in there was like, you just need to get your stuff together, don't you? You just need to get it together. You know, instead of what folks could have been saying, they all just kind of were like, whoa, your parents, like, they really care about you.

Narrator/Interviewer (46:14)

The 2020 segment wasn't over yet. Here's Connie Chung sitting in front of a group of seven students from Grant High School.

Michael Bachman (46:22)

I think one of the questions that they were asking each of them is, how did this affect you? And so, you know, I feel like he was just lying to us. I feel like, you know, he was just a fraud. I feel like he was just a con man. I feel like, you know, I thought he was my friend. It's like, okay, you know, I thought you were my friend, you know? And it turns out that every single thing you said to every single person was a lie. At that point, I was like, you know what? As soon as the commercial came on, I went into the room, and I didn't end up actually watching the rest of the. That 2020 interview. I didn't want to be tearful in front of people, but it really hurt. I realized just how much my actions affected them. And these are, like, high school students. These aren't, you know, grown people. Not that it's okay to hurt grown folks, but these are high school students who are learning how to trust and learning how to, you know, do that kind of thing. And here I was like, just this con man sitting here amongst these guys. And really, that was a really tough interview to watch. So I was able to be out on bond until the case was resolved. So when I was released from the.

Narrator/Interviewer (47:45)

Washington County Jail, Michael's parents asked him to come home. And this time he did.

Michael Bachman (47:51)

And my folks were very, very supportive in a way that I didn't deserve and in a way that I never expected. They helped me get a lawyer. They stood by me while the case was proceeding. They said a few words in court. And that was the beginning of maybe us reunifying, if that's a word. But that was the beginning of us kind of coming back together. I always I'll tell you that the quickest and easiest way from point A to point B is a straight line. And for whatever reason, I had to do figure eights and all kinds of things to get from A to B. And took a long time in life for me to realize that no matter where I go, so I take myself with me. I had to confront the fact that I'm not DeAndre D'. Angelo. I'm Michael.

Flynn Washington (49:23)

A very, very big thank you to Michael Bachman for sharing your story with the SNAP SNAP Nation. You're probably wondering, did Michael make it onto the right path?

Michael Bachman (49:36)

So now I work. I work for a living. I have a job, a really good one, and I work for a local nonprofit. I am like what they call a peer navigator. We call it justice. Involved with basically people with a criminal record who've had to been to jail, been to prison. I literally take people to doctor's appointments. I help people get rental assistance. I kind of walk that road with them. It helps keep me grounded and honest because I'm walking with people who are also working on being grounded and honest. I think the experiences that I had and the lessons that I've learned, I've been able to share those with others. And Michael Vackman is enjoying living in his own skin and is enjoying life probably for the first time ever. And then I also have always loved music. It's always been there in my life and working on an album and have some pretty cool songs, interestingly enough. Enough people always say, oh, so you call yourself Trey? Michael Musically, I do. Trey as in the treble clef. Michael it's just kind of a play on words. I've got my website. I put my music on there. There's a plug right there.

Flynn Washington (51:22)

It is Snappers. If you want to hear Michael's music, check out our show notes. The original score for that piece was by Dirk Schwarzoff. It was edited by Anna Sussman. It was produced by Jeff Maish and Nancy Lopez. Good news. This is just episode three of snap's School Days series. School Days is on podcast platforms everywhere right now. The mystical, magical Snap All Seeing Eye is a fix to KQED in San Francisco. No Snap Studios content or DNA maybe used for training, testing or developing machine learning or AI systems without prior written permission goes double for Sam Altman. Zuckerberg Gemini must bang. Snap is brought to you by the team that will not go back to high school under any circumstances. Except of course, the uber producer, Mr. Mark Ristich. He really likes the food. On Team Snap, the union represented producers, artists, editors and engineers are members of the national association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, Communications workers of America, AFL CIO Local 51. Now there's Nancy Lopez, Pattinson Miller, Anna Sussman, Renzel Gorio, John Facile, Shayna Shealy, Taylor Dicott, Flo Wiley, Bo Walsh, Marissa Dodge, and Regina Bediaga. And this is not the news noises news. In fact, you could get on the TikTok and study all the hip new slang only to have the kids shout Boomer at you anyway and would still not be as far away from the news as this is. But this is PRX.