Anita Barney claims that former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter duped her out of millions and forced her to scam her friends and employees out of $500,000. Barney, 70, was the speaker when Reliford was the Ashland Elks Sports Day honoree in 2005. Stories of Ordinary People Who Have Experienced the Extraordinary. I ditched mine and wore his. He then started in the restaurant business with Kentucky Fried Chicken and eventually teamed with Dave Thomas. [4], By the end of the 1992 season, the Rockers were losing patience with Schlichter and asked him to take a substantial pay cut if he wanted to return for the 1993 season. The aircraft clipped at least one power line before it crashed into a horse arena, according to authorities. How to Take Control of Your Money Instead of Your Money Controlling You, Life Gives Second Chances - She's Still Alive, You Have the Potential of Learning to Love Yourself, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. In 1980 her ten-year-old son, Alan nearly died in a horrific plane crash. Barney, the widow of a former Wendys CEO, was accustomed to helping people. Barney retired when he was 52 and, at the time, was the second-largest shareholder in Wendys, owning $4.4 million of the companys stock, or about 1 percent. Owner Dick Scott said she was popular. People are proud of him and what he did, said lifelong friend Paul Reliford of Ashland. When O'Hara learned this, he ordered the Rockers to release Schlichter. That same year, he filed for bankruptcy to shield himself from creditors. The 73-year-old, who lived a lavish lifestyle, claims Schlichter, a former Ohio State and NFL quarterback, duped her out of $3 million and forced her to scam friends and employees out of $500,000. At the time, he was Ohio State's all-time leader in total offense. Hicks stays red hot: Sophomore sizzles from lon, Weekend arrests include sex crimes against child, Johnson helps Highlanders hold off Tomcats, Red Devils get straight to the point in win ove, MORRIS, Linda Nov 25, 1940 - Jan 14, 2023, ROSS, Pauline Mar 13, 1923 - Jan 14, 2023, ELLINGTON, Dorothy Feb 24, 1924 - Jan 14, 2023, EVANS, Charles May 16, 1939 - Jan 12, 2023, CALDWELL, Janet Aug 20, 1936 - Jan 11, 2023, Men create GoFundMe for family after tragic loss, Steckler stuck: Code enforcement fines building for lack of progress, 2022 Large School All-Area Football: Musketeers keep moving forward: Sammons, Moore capture All-Area honors, UPDATE: One man dead after jack failure, relatives involved in car accident, Spotlight on Spencer: Ashland Middle Schooler gets shiny new ride. [10] The league suspended him indefinitely but Commissioner Pete Rozelle reduced the suspension to 13 months after Schlichter agreed to seek treatment. Dylan had a bright future ahead. Her son, Alan Vatko, had been gravely injured in a 1981 plane crash that killed his father and three others; Barney believed that Alan's recovery was due in large part to Schlichter visiting Her two older daughters are college students, Kathy Saxton said. Barney has pledged to pay people back with any proceeds from her book. [1], By late 2010, Schlichter sensed he was nearing the end of his tether. [2], Schlichter later said that he hit rock bottom in 2004, after he was caught gambling in prison and placed in solitary confinement. [1][14] When he pleaded guilty, federal prosecutors were initially willing to offer a deal that would let him self-report to a federal prison camp for a sentence of 15 months. He sat out the 1986 season after no other team expressed interest. He also worked 38-hour weeks at the YMCA where he would pal around with Reliford. When prison officials learned about it, they cut off his email access for 90 days. I also lost my family and friends, says Anita Barney, who was married to the CEO of the fast-food chain Wendys. In less than one year, he had swindled me out of $3 million, she says. Barneys message is straightforward: Shes sorry about what happened but had little choice because of threats Schlichter made including harming her adult children as he egged her on. All of this time, its like forget, forgive, Noe said. [30], Prosecutors later said that Schlichter started gambling again almost as soon as he left prison. Becki Reiser is an author of Through My Tears - Awash in Forgiveness. She also believes that in hindsight, she missed a number of red flags about Schlichter's story; while he talked a lot about the impact his addiction had on him, he never mentioned his wife and children. Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our Newsletters, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 11 people rescued from storm-swollen waterways across San Diego County, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, How to celebrate Lunar New Year 2023 in San Diego County, Pedestrian gravely injured in Mira Mesa hit-and-run crash, Heres how much rain fell in 45 San Diego County communities during Saturdays storm, Biden administration to resume construction of taller border barrier at Friendship Park, Truth or a simple dream? Doctors have diagnosed Schlichter with Parkinson's disease and dementiathe side effects of numerous concussions (between 15 and 17, depending on the source) suffered over 20 years of football at junior high, high school, college and professional levels. Loved ones say Dylan lived life to the fullest. [1], He was released in April 1996 after serving 16 months, only to be arrested again that fall for stealing checks from his employer and using them to get $8,500 to gamble. 66.42.94.172 However, Brown said, Schlichter had "demonstrated over and over" that he could not be trusted. Phil last month and believes shes remorseful. Material things dont mean that much to me anymore, Barney said. Barney pleaded guilty herself to two felony theft charges in 2012. She lost her husband in a plane crash in 1981 that took the lives of In November 2009, she connected with former Ohio State University star quarterback Art Schlichter to thank him for changing the course of her son's life. Viewing will be Tuesday and the funeral is Wednesday. Art Schlichter conned millions of dollars from me. [1], On September 15, 2011, Schlichter pleaded guilty to state charges of theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. She became part of an FBI sting to catch him in the act. He was a football and basketball star at Miami Trace High School. Authorities did not have immediate information on the likely cause of the crash. I survived this cancer, I survived Art, and I feel like Im here for a purpose now. Sports named Schlichter the worst #4 pick since the AFL-NFL merger, writing that Colts fans long felt chagrin that Jim McMahon was taken by the Chicago Bears with the very next pick. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Upon release in 2006, Schlichter wrote a book about his addiction, Busted, and became an anti-gambling crusader. She avoided prison but was ordered to pay $427,000 to 19 victims. However, when the golfing partner called the Colts to see if the check was good, team and league officials feared Schlichter had relapsed. Anita Barney is a widow of the former CEO of Wendy's. 69.163.206.172 [citation needed], In late 2009, Schlichter and his mother appeared in TV ads opposing an Ohio casino statewide ballot issue. The coroner also independently released the victims' names. However, Franklin County Common Pleas judge Chris Brown took a dim view of the request, saying that Schlichter was "past the point of rehabilitation" and had not shown that he would "conduct (himself appropriately)" if released. He'd passed most of the checks at Treasure Island. La Amy had a severe pain in her stomach while she was at a family celebration that caused her to pass out and remain comatose. He also admitted to falsifying his 2008 tax return and hiding almost $38,500 in income from the government. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. At his orders, she was also calling her own friends to enlist them in the scheme. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. As a result, prosecutors say Barneys eventual cooperation was vital to convicting Schlichter, who pleaded guilty in 2011 to federal counts of wire fraud, bank fraud and filing a false income tax return. Ive got a lot of memories there, said Barney in an interview two years ago. "Plays hockey, surfs, dives, travels the world," said Dylan's hockey coach Peter Torsson. He subsequently admitted that he "probably" used part of the money to gamble. [14] During that time, he also had his public defender, Linda Wagoner, smuggle a cell phone into the Marion County, Indiana jail so he could place bets. Her self-published book Quarterback Sneak details her experience at the hands of football great Art Schlichter, who played for Ohio State between 1978 and 1981 and later for the Baltimore and Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills, and the Detroit and Cincinnati Arena League teams. Kutner recalled that at KVEG, his penchant for bilking his friends and bouncing checks was a topic of on-air discussion. Counting time served while awaiting sentencing, he spent all but 358 days between November 1994 and June 2006 behind bars. Selected fourth overall in the 1982 NFL Draft by the Colts, Schlichter appeared in only 13 games and six starts due to his gambling problems. The wife and mother of a Calabasas father and son killed in a single-engine plane crash in Ventura County Sunday has confirmed the identities of the two victims, Eyewitness After losing $20,000 in the first week of the strike, he doubled up the next week and lost againstarting a cycle that would continue for over a year. Schlichter was charged with a first-degree felony in connection with the theft of more than $1 million on February 14, 2011. He also wrote an autobiography, Busted, with sportswriter Jeff Snook. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. ", "Schlichter speaks at Centerville church about gambling, life", "The Columbus Dispatch Local/State | The Columbus Dispatch", "Art Schlichter, Ex-OSU Quarterback, Probed in Super Bowl Tickets Scam Crimesider", "Schlichter charged with felony in million-dollar theft", "Judge sentences former quarterback Art Schlichter to 10 years behind bars", Press release announcing federal plea deal, "Art Schlichter fails drug tests while under house arrest", "Ex-Colts QB Art Schlichter in Ohio for more prison time due to cocaine use and gambling", "Ex-Colts and Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter, 61, released from prison, living in Ohio on parole", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Art_Schlichter&oldid=1127553341, American sportspeople convicted of crimes, Short description is different from Wikidata, NFL player missing current team parameter, Infobox NFL biography articles with old NFL.com URL, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 10:47. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Wealthy widow Anita Barney lost nearly her entire fortune to an ex-Ohio State quarterback who defrauded her of hundreds of thousands of dollars to feed a gambling addiction that left him banished from the NFL. It would be Schlichter's last meaningful action in the NFL. I cry every day about this and I pray to God that they understand, Barney said. Although he said he intended instead to focus on his radio career and curing his gambling addiction,[14][23] evidence has come to light that Schlichter was forced to retire rather than face being banned from the league for betting on AFL games. Barney went to Ashland Junior College on a basketball scholarship after graduating high school. [19] In 2007, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! ``Its a tragedy _ she was a nice gal., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. [14] Vitto and owner Mike Ilitch tried their best to help him, keeping him on a budget and requiring him to attend meetings with Gamblers Anonymous and therapists. Now 74 and living off Social Security after surviving breast cancer, Barney is trying to publicly rebuild her reputation. The NFL has suspended him for life. McMahon would lead the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX in the same season that Schlichter's NFL career all but ended. Got a confidential news tip? She was one of 27 who survived, although her foot was nearly severed and damage to her back required 26 operations. Low around 45F. Schlichter was a four-year starter at Ohio State University. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. High 53F. He threw 202 passes and completed 91 of them. Anita Barneys husband, Bob Barney was the former CEO of Wendys. In his sophomore year, 1979, he led the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season. [26], The pattern continued during his time as a sports talk host. Schlichter helped lead the Rockers to the playoffs in their inaugural season,[14] but announced he was retiring from football that October. "I guess it was his last shift," Torsson said of Dylan, through tears. Im not saying other people werent successful, but few did as much as Bob. He also rushed for 1,303 yards and 35 touchdowns. Schlichter often stole and conned money from friends and strangers when he ran low on funds to support his gambling. Ahead the 1992 season, Schlichter was traded to the expansion Cincinnati Rockers, with league officials believing his popularity in Ohio would generate interest for the franchise. Many people wonder if Anita was a co-conspirator or a victim. DETROIT (AP) _ A rural Michigan family grieved privately Sunday after two loved ones were killed and two others were hurt in Florida when a jet engine blew apart on an airliner speeding down the runway. Anita says Schlichter told her that he needed the money to pay back people, and even claimed that the mafia broke his ribs and they would come after her and possibly her family if she didnt help get the money to pay them. All Rights Reserved. ``Its a small town and were all friends, he said. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Barney has pledged to pay people back with any proceeds from her book. She was later sentenced to three years' probation. He promised to repay her with proceeds from his book. Lawsuit by man claiming he awoke during surgery at UCSD goes to trial, Who doesnt want to be a Padre right now? Ethan Salas, 16, eager to start pro climb, San Diego police arrest 13 suspects in jewelry theft ring, seek more victims, Aztecs name former QB Ryan Lindley offensive coordinator as Jeff Horton retires. Until a few months ago, Anita Saxton had worked for the past four years as a waitress at Scottys Restaurant in Ludington, Mich. He has been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and is receiving medical treatment, according to his attorney, Steve Nolder. Associated Press Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report. Anita claims when Schlichter first asked her to borrow money, he asked for $10,000 so he could buy a car to visit his estranged daughters. She was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution, forcing her to auction off nearly all she owned and give up her house.[1]. He also stole money from Mitzi as well. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Schlichter was born in Bloomingburg, Ohio, between Columbus and Cincinnati. Art and Anita first met in 1981 after her son Alan survived a plane crash. As it turned out, Schlichter got tickets from ticket brokers across central Ohio, often paying four times face value. Less than one year, 1979, he had swindled me out of $ 3 million, was., travels the world, '' said Dylan 's hockey coach Peter Torsson with! 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