Steven Jay Russell
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Steven Jay Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 14, 1957 |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Other names | nicknamed "Houdini" and "King Con" |
| Occupation | con artist |
| Known for | Famous for his successful escapes from several prisons |
Steven Jay Russell (born September 14, 1957) is a US con artist and impostor who has escaped from prison a number of times. He has been nicknamed "Houdini" and "King Con". His IQ was measured at 163.[1]
Early life
Steven Jay Russell was adopted at birth by a conservative family in Virginia Beach. In the 1970s, Russell was a deputy police officer and family man in Virginia. He spent some of his time successfully looking for his birth mother using law enforcement, the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications Service, and the National Crime Information Center databases, and learned to use them effectively. After learning these skills, he conned his way into a sales manager job with White Swan Foodservice in Houston by convincing Ronald Elmquist, the CEO at the time, that he had advanced degrees in fresh food service management.
When it was revealed that Russell was gay, he lost his job at White Swan, and he managed to convince the CEOs of two other food service companies of his qualifications before finally being discovered as a fraud. He was subsequently arrested on lewd behavior charges at a Houston park known as a gathering place for homosexual men.
Escaping from prisons
Over the years, Russell has had at least 14 known aliases. During his escapes he has masqueraded as a judge, a physician, a police officer and a handyman, among others.
On May 21, 1993 Russell got out of Harris County Jail in Houston, Texas, wearing civilian clothes he had obtained. Afterward he fabricated bogus credentials and got a job as CFO of North American Medical Management. He proceeded to embezzle thousands of dollars from the company. In 1995 he was caught and imprisoned for insurance fraud and again placed into Harris County Jail where he met Phillip Morris, who became his lover.
In 1996, while in Harris County Jail (Texas), Russell impersonated a judge and ordered his own bond decreased from $900,000 to $45,000, which he immediately posted. He was arrested 10 days later in Florida and was sent back to Texas. That same year he started taking art classes provided by the prison. Each time he attended a session, he snatched a green Magic Marker and hid it under his bed. Eventually, he had enough markers to dye his white prison uniform green. Since all the medical professionals in the prison wore green uniforms, Russell simply walked out of the prison disguised as a "doctor."
In 1998, he was again at the Harris County Jail, serving a 45-year sentence for stealing $800,000 from a Houston company that manages physicians' finances, plus 20 years for the previous escape. He later got Phillip Morris transferred to the Dallas County Jail and tried to have him released.
While in prison, Russell began to plot his most daring escape. At the prison library, Russell began reading up on the HIV virus and AIDS. He began taking laxatives to make it seem as if he had the symptoms of AIDS. Russell used a prison typewriter to forge a medical document stating that he suffered from the disease, and used it to convince doctors of his "condition" on February 24. He fooled the prison doctor into believing that a 'special needs parole' to a Houston hospital had been authorized on March 13. While outside and free again, Russell posed as a doctor and informed the prison that Russell had died from AIDS.[2]
On March 20, 1998, Russell posed as a Virginia millionaire and tried to take a $75,000 loan from NationsBank in Dallas. When bank officials got suspicious and alerted the police, Russell feigned a heart attack and was transported to a hospital. The FBI placed him under guard, but Russell managed to impersonate an FBI agent on his cellular phone and convinced officers guarding him to leave. He walked out of the hospital and the hunt for Russell began all over again.[2]
Russell was arrested again on April 5, 1998 in Fort Lauderdale when he was walking to his car. He was again shipped back to Texas, receiving a 144-year jail sentence.
Russell in the media
Television
Because of Russell's infamous escapes, Discovery Channel aired a one hour special about his exploits as On The Run – “The King Of Cons”.
Film
A movie about his life, crimes and prison escapes was produced in 2009, called I Love You Phillip Morris, with actor Jim Carrey portraying Russell [3] and Ewan McGregor playing Phillip Morris.[4].
Internet
Since the movie went in production and the real character behind the story became more popular several articles appeared on Internet uncovering some unknown details of a story. Even Guardian couldn't resist a bite which resulted in great article I love you Phillip Morris: a conman's story. Increased media attention also led to "Free Steven Jay Russell" - Internet petition aimed at Governor Rick Perry of Texas, generally stating that Steven isn't a violent person and thus the whole sentence of 100+ years in maximum security jail looks more like an act of rage than real justice.
Sources
- McVicker, Steve (June 25, 2003). I Love You Phillip Morris: A True Story of Life, Love, and Prison Breaks. Miramax Books. ISBN 0-7868-6903-8.
- McWilliams, James (July 4, 2003). "The Master Manipulator". The Texas Observer. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
References
- ^ Texas Observer Retrieved on Sept 3,2009
- ^ a b Lubbock State Region Journal Retrieved on September 3, 2009.
- ^ JustPressPlay.net, "Jim Carrey Loves Phillip Morris"
- ^ Ewan McGregor Cast In I Love You Phillip Morris |The Movie Blog