Dana Michelle Lawrence, 45, was freed from federal prison in August after 18 months
A daughter left heartbroken by her con-artist mother's scams is warning potential marks not to fall prey to her deceptions.
Kennedy Wilmers, 21, spoke out on NBC's Today Show on Friday about her life growing up on the run with mother Dana Michelle Lawrence, 45, who was freed from prison in August after serving 18 months.
Lawrence was convicted of a single count of identity fraud, but the FBI says she duped a string of attorneys, pilots and even a rabbi over the course of more than 20 years by using 19 different aliases across 16 states.
'She's already back on Facebook, saying she's a grant writer. She has these credentials, graduated from Harvard — total lies,' Kennedy said. 'She's putting herself out there to scam more people, innocent people.'
'Just knowing her for as long as I did, I know her and her tendencies and she doesn't feel bad for what she's done,' said Kennedy.
Lawrence's daughter Kennedy Wilmers, 21, spoke out in an interview with the Today Show about how her mother used her in her scams - and warned men to be on the lookout
Lawrence, seen in a 2017 interrogation, taunted investigators that they would never discover all of her crimes. The FBI says her scams spanned 20 years using 19 aliases across 16 states
Investigators say that Lawrence would often seek out single men without children who seemed eager to settle down and present herself as wealthy and successful.
'She would tell them that she was an Ivy League-educated attorney, that she came from incredible wealth, that her father was deceased, her mother was a doctor with Doctors Without Borders, working in Africa. She said that her family had connections to the royal family,' FBI Special Agent Mark Hastbacka told NBC.
Soon, sometimes after just one date, Lawrence would claim to be pregnant, squeezing money and jewelry out men who just wanted to do right by her.
'She preys on good people,' Kevin Little, who met Lawrence in 2001 when he was bartending in Orlando, told NBC. 'She's good at finding good people.'
She left a a $200 tip on a $70 tab, claiming she was was in town to take care of her sick mother, Little said. Flashing a corporate card from Lucasfilm, Lawrence claimed she worked in New York City for Star Wars creator George Lucas.
After a one-night stand, Lawrence said she was pregnant. She did give birth to a daughter, but then skipped town with the girl.
Kevin Little met Lawrence in 2001 when he was bartending in Orlando. 'She's good at finding good people,' he said
Little never gave up on seeing his daughter Avery though, and was able to regain custody in 2005 when Lawrence was arrested on fraud charges in New York.
In 2006, Lawrence completed consecutive one-year prison terms for fraud-related offenses she committed in New York and Rhode Island.
After Lawrence was released, she was required to serve a nine-year probation in connection and pay restitution - but she skipped town and fled.
Over the years, Lawrence had six children with six different men.
Though she often abandoned them and gave two up for adoption, Kennedy became her constant partner in crime at a young age, the daughter says.
Kennedy describes how her mother would often claim that she was her niece, saying her parents had died of cancer, or in a car crash - whatever seemed most likely to tug at the heart strings.
Then came the pleas for cash to support the orphaned 'niece', Kennedy said.
Lawrence (left and right since her release) had six children with six different men over the years. Investigators say she would squeeze romantic interests for cash by claiming she was pregnant with their child after a single date or one-night stand
'I asked her, "Why do I have to say my mom died?" and she just always came up with excuses and was just very firm and strict. I would get in a lot of trouble if I would slip up,' recalled Kennedy.
When Kennedy was 12 or 13, she got fed up with the constant moving from place to place, which her mom claimed was in order to flee an abusive ex.
'I said "No. I love my friends, I love my school and I'm tired of running,"' Kennedy said.
'She told me that's fine but that she has to go. So she basically went back up to the apartment, she wrote a handwritten letter, giving custody to [the landlord] and then she left.'
The end of the line for Lawrence came in May of 2017, when she was volunteering as a grant writer for the city of Nashua, New Hampshire under the name Genna Kaplan.
Officials grew suspicious of her persistent requests for bank routing numbers for city accounts, and her erratic response when confronted about it. They called in the FBI.
Agent Hastbacka managed to bring Lawrence in for questioning before she skipped town. There was no record of a 'Genna Kaplan'.
FBI Special Agent Mark Hastbacka was called in after officials in Nashua became suspicious over Lawrence persistently inquiring about city bank routing numbers
Investigators are seen questioning Lawrence in May 2017. She eventually admitted she'd been living under a false name and taunted the FBI that it would never find all her crimes
Eventually, Lawrence gave up her real name. Even then, there were no records - no taxes, bank accounts or utility bills listing Dana Lawrence. She was a ghost.
As Hastbacka took her into custody, he says that Lawrence bragged he'd never known the extent of her crimes.
'She challenged me that I only knew 20 percent of what she's done over the years, and I would never be able to figure it out,' Hastbacka said. 'So, challenge accepted.'
Based on the fact that she had rented her apartment under a false identity in New Hampshire, Lawrence was charged with and convicted of using someone else's Social Security card. No other charges could be brought because of the statute of limitations, officials said.
When Hastbacka called Kennedy to tell her of her mother's arrest, she recalls thinking 'it finally happened'.
'I knew everything at that point, how my whole life was a lie and she was a terrible person,' Kennedy said.
Half-sisters Kennedy (left) and Avery (right) have now reunited with their other siblings, and plan to meet for Thanksgiving dinner next week in Charleston, South Carolina
Lawrence did not respond to a message from DailyMail.com seeking comment.
Since going free from prison in August, Lawrence has launched a website, on which she claims to be a 'grant writer, advocate, and development strategist'.
'As I look to my next 30 years of service with great enthusiasm and humility, I am grateful to have the devotion of my family, countless supporters, and the grace of my God at every turn,' she writes on the site.
Kennedy, Avery and Lawrence's two other children who were not put up for adoption have now reunited. They and their jilted fathers now consider themselves one big family - one that is ready to put Lawrence's wrongdoings behind them.
'Despite what she's ruined for us we still have each other and that's the most important part,' said Kennedy.
Next week, they all plan to get together for Thanksgiving dinner in Charleston, South Carolina.
'For a lot of my life, I hoped one day she would come to her senses and we would be a happy mother-daughter family, but I think that a few years ago I finally came to the realization that that's never going to happen,' said Kennedy. 'I just need to live life the best way I can.'
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/17/daughter-warns-potential-marks-about-her-con-artist-mom-dana-lawrence/
Main photo article
Dana Michelle Lawrence, 45, was freed from federal prison in August after 18 months
A daughter left heartbroken by her con-artist mother’s scams is warning potential marks not to fall prey to her deceptions.
Kennedy Wilmers, 21, spoke out on NBC’s Today Show on Friday about her...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/17/19/6317724-6401197-image-m-23_1542483777506.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий