American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals Season 11 Episode 14 Art Schlichter: All-American Fraud

In this episode of American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals, we are introduced to Art Schlichter, a former quarterback for Ohio State University and NFL draft pick. Schlichter was a talented athlete, but his addiction to gambling would ultimately lead him down a path of fraud and deceit.

Schlichter's gambling addiction began in college, where he would bet on anything from sports games to coin tosses. This addiction followed him into the NFL, where he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1982. Schlichter's addiction continued to escalate, and he began gambling hundreds of thousands of dollars on sports games, often using bookies and loan sharks to finance his addiction.

In 1987, Schlichter's life began to unravel when he was suspended by the NFL for violating their gambling policy. He was eventually cut from the Colts and struggled to find a new team to play for. With his professional football career over, Schlichter continued to gamble and began to turn to more illegal and fraudulent means to finance his addiction.

Schlichter's schemes involved running illegal sports betting operations and using his status as a former NFL player to scam investors with promises of huge returns on sports-related investments. He would often use his charm and charisma to persuade people to invest in his businesses, only to use the money for his personal gambling debts. In one particular scheme, Schlichter convinced investors to give him $1.5 million for a supposed investment in a sports ticketing business. However, Schlichter used the money to finance his gambling habit, and the business ended up being a complete failure.

Schlichter's fraud eventually caught up with him, and he was arrested in 2011 and charged with multiple counts of wire fraud and fraud. He was sentenced to over 10 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his scams.

The episode also features interviews with some of Schlichter's victims, as well as law enforcement officials involved in the case. The show highlights the devastating impact that Schlichter's addiction and fraud had on the lives of those around him, and serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of gambling addiction and the devastating consequences of fraud.

Overall, American Greed: Scams, Scoundrels and Scandals season 11 episode 14, "Art Schlichter: All-American Fraud" is an intriguing look into the world of sports gambling and the lengths that one man went to in order to finance his addiction. The episode provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of a once-promising athlete whose addiction ultimately led to his downfall, as well as the devastating impact that his actions had on those around him.