Samuel Israel III
Samuel Israel III | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 20, 1959 |
| Occupation(s) | Former hedge fund manager and investment advisor |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
| Criminal charge | Fraud |
| Penalty | sentenced to 22 years |
Samuel Israel III (born July 20, 1959) is a former hedge fund manager for the fraudulent Bayou Hedge Fund Group, which he founded in 1996. He was born in Louisiana.
His 2006 GMC Envoy was found abandoned on the Bear Mountain Bridge on June 10, 2008 with the following written in dust on the hood, "Suicide is Painless," the title of the theme song from the M*A*S*H TV series. Police suspected that this was an attempt by Israel to fake his own death in order to avoid prison.[1] Israel's girlfriend, Debra Ryan, was arrested for aiding and abetting his escape later in June 2008, and was released on bail. According to police, Ryan admitted that she and Israel parked an RV loaded with Israel's belongings near Bear Mountain Bridge on the day before his disappearance.[2] The pair have been featured on America's Most Wanted.[3]
Israel surrendered to federal authorities on July 2, 2008. NBC aired a Dateline segment about him on September 5, 2008.[4]
Sentenced in April 2008 to 20 years in federal prison, Israel had failed to report to Devens prison June 9, 2008. As a consequence, he was further sentenced on July 15, 2009, to an additional two years in prison for faking his own suicide, bringing his total sentence to 22 years.
He is the subject of an episode of American Greed (#25) on CNBC, which was first broadcast February 3, 2010.
References
- ^ Suicide note left on swindler's car on bridge, New York Post, 10 June 2008.
- ^ Fugitive Fund Manager’s Girlfriend Is Charged, The New York Times, 20 June 2008.
- ^ Samuel Israel - Fugitive, America's Most Wanted
- ^ Hedge-fund swindler Israel surrenders, Reuters
External links
- The Search for a Missing Trader Goes Global, The New York Times, 14 June 2008
- Israel's FBI wanted poster
- Israel's U.S. Marshals wanted poster
- Fugitive hedge-fund swindler in federal custody, Reuters, 2 July 2008
- Hedge-Fund Fugitive in Custody, Time, 2 July 2008
- Fund Manager Who Faked His Suicide Surrenders, The New York Times, 3 July 2008