Why No One Talks About Anymore
Con Man Mike Asimos: A True American Story
A true story of an American dream gone wrong, Michael Asimos made headlines when he was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud, money laundering and other crimes. The story was featured on the cover of Newsweek magazine and was reported extensively on MSNBC and Fox News, but it also received media attention around the world. Asimos’ life had all the makings of a rags-to-riches story, from his modest origins as a collegiate football player at West Point to his climb to become one of Wall Street’s most successful traders.
A West Point alumnus with years of Wall Street con expertise, Michael w Asimos is the author of The Real Life Con Game. Asimos was born in Charleston, SC. He received a mechanical engineering degree from West Point Military Academy in 1978 after completing his studies there. After graduating from West Point, he became an officer in the US Army. Despite this, he was forced to quit the service due to major back injuries sustained during the Gulf War. Asimos went on to become a prosperous businessman on Wall Street, but he quickly discovered that he was spending more time daydreaming than really producing money.
He made $8 million in just two years, over half of which came from other financial institutions that he conned into backing his frauds against them. After these scams were successful, Asimos started assisting others in launching their own con professions. As a young man, Michael Asimos had everything going for him. But, what should have been his shining moment turned into a disaster when the recession of 2008 hit Wall Street. Successful Wall Street broker Michael Mike Asimos became FBI informant, aiding authorities in exposing a significant securities fraud conspiracy. He was nonetheless given a five-year prison term for his part in the conspiracy after years of hiding his identity.
After completing his term, he was released from prison and immediately began con artists. However, the FBI was watching him this time. He was arrested and eventually convicted guilty of mail fraud for the second time. He has not been involved in any more scams since then. The problem is that it doesn’t appear like any of his pals would welcome him back either. They appear to believe that he is no longer credible in their eyes. I’m not sure what Mike Asimos will do next or whether there will finally be a redemption tale in this, but there’s no doubt that this is a difficult position. There are rumors that he’ll do another con game someday and hope for better luck. But as it stands right now, Michael Asimos is really just an out-of-luck con man.
