I'm Going To Prison For 3 Years Because Of My Husband's Fraudulent Actions

Summary

The Ramsey Show Highlights

Episode: I'm Going To Prison For 3 Years Because Of My Husband's Fraudulent Actions
Date: March 31, 2026
Host: Dave Ramsey
Guests: Financial Advisor/Coach (unnamed), Caller
Duration: Under 10 minutes

---

Episode Overview

This emotionally charged episode features a caller sharing her experience of being sentenced to prison for crimes committed in her husband’s name. Dave Ramsey and a financial advisor coach provide support, practical advice, and tough love as she prepares for incarceration and life after release. The core themes revolve around financial abuse, legal injustices, planning for major life transitions, and reclaiming agency after years in a toxic environment.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Caller’s Background and Legal Situation

• The caller details a 23-year financially abusive marriage. Her husband, without her full knowledge, involved her in COVID-era bank fraud by falsely making her the owner of fraudulent companies ([00:06]).
• She is “going to prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud” because her name and signature were on documents, though she states she did not fully understand the implications ([00:06]–[00:58]).
• Her husband has already served a lesser sentence; she is facing three years ([03:06]).
• The couple have four children, aged 22, 18, 17, and 12 ([03:24]).

Quote:

“I've been in a financially abusive marriage for the last 23 years. I am facing prison time. I'm actually supposed to be checking in to prison on the beginning of June.”
— Caller ([00:06])

---

2. Understanding the Conviction

• Dave and the advisor probe how she was convicted if she was unaware of the fraud ([00:46], [01:51]).
• She clarifies:
  • She pled guilty on her attorney's advice, believing she would lose at trial ([02:08]–[02:25]).
  • Her lawyer has not been paid, implying a lack of robust legal support ([02:08]).

Quote:

“My attorney told me that I would probably not win at a trial. So you pleaded. Yes, I pleaded yes.”
— Caller ([02:19])

---

3. Family Circumstances & Abuse

• Husband finished his sentence; now out.
• He controls her ability to leave, sabotaging her efforts (taking car keys, letting air out of tires) ([03:39]–[03:55]).
• She is not yet divorced, but intends to file as soon as she enters prison ([03:41]).

Quotes:

“He doesn't get the option of giving you a divorce. You live in Florida. You can file for divorce and that will be granted.”
— Dave Ramsey ([03:41])
“He takes my keys if I try to leave. He's let the air out of my tires.”
— Caller ([03:49])

---

4. Financial and Legal Planning Before Incarceration

• Caller asks about managing her 401(k) and employment benefits ([04:39]).
• Dave recommends rolling the 401(k) into an IRA with a SmartVestor Pro ([04:55]).
• She worked in epidemiology for a clinic but doubts she can reenter the field with a felony ([05:12], [05:28], [05:55]).
• Dave and the advisor stress honesty and framing her story positively should she pursue work in the future ([06:01]–[06:56]).

Quotes:

“I don't believe that I have very marketable [skills].”
— Caller ([05:55])
“Having a felony is not necessarily going to keep you from landing a job, especially if you tell them.”
— Dave Ramsey ([06:37])

---

5. Encouragement and Practical Steps for Reentry

• The advisor urges building her support network and exploring employment options even before prison ([06:01]–[07:32]).
• Dave recommends plugging into her church and being open about her situation ([07:44]).
• Both stress the importance of a support system and community.

Quotes:

“Some people are going to say things to you because they don't like tough conversations...But I would be trying to shore up what re entry would look like.”
— Financial Advisor/Coach ([06:01])
“Plug into your local church, let your story be known, and you know you've got two things to work on...”
— Dave Ramsey ([07:44])

---

6. Reflection and Emotional Moments

• She reflects that the year her husband was incarcerated was “the best year of my life” ([07:23]).
• Dave and the coach see her coming prison term as the beginning of a new, healthier chapter without her abuser.

Quotes:

“The year he was away was the best year of my life.”
— Caller ([07:23])
“Welcome to the rest of your life. He's away forever now.”
— Dave Ramsey ([07:27])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You get to start over fresh after living in an abusive, horrible situation for way too long.” (Dave Ramsey, [04:26])
• “You needed to be divorced 20 years ago, but now you really need to be divorced.” (Dave Ramsey, [07:44])
• “Lay the groundwork now for when you get out, that you have a job or at least possibilities or people who will champion you.” (Financial Advisor/Coach, [07:32])

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• Caller shares background / legal predicament: [00:06]–[01:51]
• Conviction and plea explanation: [01:51]–[02:25]
• Family dynamics and abuse: [03:24]–[03:55]
• 401(k) question and employment fears: [04:39]–[05:55]
• Encouragement and planning reentry: [06:01]–[07:44]
• Most emotional exchange (“best year of my life”): [07:23]–[07:27]

---

Takeaways & Tone

• Tone: Compassionate but direct; balancing empathy with direct advice.
• Core advice:
  • Take immediate steps to secure financial and legal independence.
  • Don’t let a past relationship with an abuser define the rest of your life.
  • Be proactive about reentry to work and building supportive community ties.

Summary:
In a raw, supportive discussion, Dave Ramsey and his team empower a caller facing prison due to her husband's fraud, advocating for her autonomy, encouraging her to restart life on her own terms, and giving actionable steps for both financial stability and personal healing.

Transcript

[Dave Ramsey]

Brought to you by the EveryDollar app. Start budgeting for free today.

[Caller]

I've been in a financially abusive marriage for the last 23 years. I am facing prison time. I'm actually supposed to be checking in to prison on the beginning of June. We have four children. They're all amazing, smart. I stayed at home with them for the last 20 years. I'm going to prison for. It's called conspiracy to commit bank fraud. During COVID my husband put my name down on documents showing that I was the owner of a couple of companies. He gave me different people to put down on these companies.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'm sorry. You knew this was happening when it was happening though?

[Caller]

No, no, I didn't know that it was.

[Dave Ramsey]

How are you being held accountable for someone fraudulently using your name? I'm confused.

[Caller]

That's a good question. I mean, that's a good question. We had federal agents come to the house and ask questions like, is this your signature? And I said, yes. Like I said, I've been a stay at home mom for so long. I know we have back taxes due. I signed those. I've never had my name on an account. Anytime my husband would put my name on a bank account, it would be closed due to like overdrawn funds. So I've been in a position that any money was his money. I never had to say in anything we did with the money. He had a bad gambling problem. So I mean, yeah, that's.

[Dave Ramsey]

Let me.

[Financial Advisor/Coach]

Can I. Can I push back on this? Because this is a big thing to drop on us here. You've already been convicted. And so that means the government went through trial and proved to a jury that you did in fact participate in this. And so when Dave asked you the

[Caller]

question, no, no, we didn't go to trial. My attorney told me that. Who has not been paid. My attorney told me that I would probably not win at a trial. So you pleaded Yes, I pleaded yes. Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

So how long are you supposed to be incarcerated?

[Caller]

Three years.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

You've worked too hard to get control of your money just to let strangers control your data. Every online sign up, discount code and free trial comes at a cost. Your information and deleteme helps you take back control. Their privacy experts find your personal info on sketchy data broker sites. They delete it and they keep it gone, meaning you stay in charge of what's yours. So protect your privacy and get 20% off an annual plan@joindelete me.com Ramsey that's joindeleteme.com Ramsey three years.

[Caller]

So they let him go in first.

[Dave Ramsey]

Oh, so he's. He's already in prison.

[Caller]

He was in, now he's out. Out of three years. He did one year. During that time, I had gotten a job. I had. I have a graduate degree I got before I started having.

[Dave Ramsey]

How old are your children now?

[Caller]

22, 18, 17 and 12.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. So I'm. I'm afraid to ask, but apparently he's taking care of them.

[Caller]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. Are you divorced yet?

[Caller]

No, he won't. He won't give me a divorce.

[Dave Ramsey]

He doesn't get the option of giving you a divorce. You live in Florida. You can file for divorce and that will be granted.

[Caller]

He takes my keys if I try to leave. He's let the air out of my tires. He's.

[Dave Ramsey]

I don't care. Obviously you can't stay married to this guy. Obviously.

[Caller]

You don't have anywhere to go. I don't know.

[Dave Ramsey]

Well, you're going somewhere in three months, so that's not an issue. We already know where you're going. But in the meantime, you need to get an attorney and get divorced.

[Caller]

That's my plan is the second I set foot in that prison that I'm filing for divorce. And I'll. Yeah, absolutely, have somewhere to go after, and I'll have a better plan and.

[Dave Ramsey]

Yeah, good. You get to start over fresh after living in an abusive, horrible situation for way too long. Right.

[Caller]

Right.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. Yeah.

[Caller]

So now that I've worked for, you know, the past three years at a job, I know I have like a 401k. What do I need to do anything with that before I go away?

[Dave Ramsey]

You can sit down with a smartvestor pro and roll it into an ira because you're probably not going back to that job, I suspect, right?

[Caller]

I don't know. Possibly.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'm kind of betting on that. Yeah. Yeah. So what were you doing? What was your career for the last three years?

[Caller]

I did epidemiology for a clinic.

[Dave Ramsey]

You did everything for what? For a clinic?

[Caller]

Epidemiology. Tract diseases.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. So you're. That's what your graduate work is in.

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

Okay. All right. So you think you can land that when you come out?

[Caller]

Probably not, no. I've. I've so much resentment toward my husband, I'm. I'm probably never going to be able to do anything.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'm sorry. Why would you not be able to land that again? Your husband has anything to do with this? He's not your husband anymore at the end of the story. And you are starting fresh the other side of a jail. Term. Why could you not go back to this career?

[Caller]

I think because I have a felony. I. I don't believe that I have very marketable.

[Financial Advisor/Coach]

Well, let me jump in here to try to encourage you. You have three months to tie up some loose ends, obviously. And one of the most important is to get your story out there either to your existing company. They probably already know this, but this is a situation where you have to try with everything. You have to get out the correct narrative and look people in the eye. And. And some people are going to say things to you because they don't like tough conversations. Some people don't even want to consider anything. But I would be trying to shore up what re entry would look like because if your husband got out in a year, hopefully you're going to get out sooner than him.

[Dave Ramsey]

You're not in a situation where you're handling money in any way. So it's a medical situation. So having a felony is not necessarily going to keep you from landing a job, especially if you tell them. When you go in for an interview, when you do the research, you're going to. When you do the background check, you're going to find a felony. I'm out. I'm clean. I'm innocent. Here's what happened.

[Financial Advisor/Coach]

Yeah.

[Dave Ramsey]

I'll give you the short, give me the thumbnail sketch version of that. Not with a bunch of shame and not with a bunch of drama, but just a little, little bit of information for the person doing the interview. And if you don't need to call me back, if you don't, you know, you can go ahead, let me know now. Or if you want to give me a shot, I'll be the best employee you ever had. I think you'll land something when you get out. You start your life again, kiddo. This time without the baggage of an abuser hanging around your neck.

[Caller]

The year he was away was the best year of my life. Yeah.

[Financial Advisor/Coach]

Goodness.

[Dave Ramsey]

Welcome to the rest of your life. He's away forever now.

[Financial Advisor/Coach]

Lay the groundwork now. I can't say this enough with your community. Lay the groundwork now for when you get out, that you have a job or at least possibilities or people who will champion you. That's going to be very vital.

[Dave Ramsey]

Plug into your local church, let your story be known, and you know you've got two things to work on. When you come out, you will be divorced. Unless you really are dumb. You really need to be divorced. You needed to be divorced 20 years ago, but now you really need to be divorced. Okay? And then you got to deal with a career, restarting your life and taking care of a 12 year old and however old that 12 year old is when you get out. But if he got out in a year on three, you'll probably get out in a year or six months on three. I think that's a reasonable set of assumptions. So you need to get this divorce done. Create your free every dollar budget today. The simplest way to budget for your life.