But she says she was quickly writing him checks for $25,000 to $30,000 and then $100,000. In January 1995, he was sentenced to two years in prison. He threw three touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil, Anita shares her side of the story. Ms. Garcia has no doubt Gonzalez targeted her in order to get at her money, which she won for injuries suffered in the Aug. 2, 1985, crash of Delta Flight 191 in Dallas that killed 137. Upon release in 2006, Schlichter wrote a book about his addiction, Busted, and became an anti-gambling crusader. [16] He pleaded guilty to illegal gambling in April and was sentenced to probation. Barney pleaded guilty herself to two felony theft charges in 2012. After the game, they took off in a Caradori's single engine Piper Saratoga airplane from Chicago's Midway airport, at almost 2 AM the following morning, July 11, for the flight back to their home in Nebraska. She was one of 27 who survived, although her foot was nearly severed and damage to her back required 26 operations. Randy Saxton flew to Pensacola late Saturday to bring his children back to their home in west-central Michigan. People are proud of him and what he did, said lifelong friend Paul Reliford of Ashland. In the video above, she tells Dr. Phil about her personal relationship with Schlichter and addresses the accusations that she was really behind the scam. But even as he railed against casinos during church appearances, he was racking up new gambling debts. In his sophomore year, 1979, he led the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season. [2], Schlichter, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction inmate #A777924, was incarcerated at Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown. Only for him, [22] His AFL success was attributed to his frequent deep passes, which caught opposing defenses off guard in an era when most AFL offenses relied on short passes. Anita Barney is a widow of the former CEO of Wendy's. He'd passed most of the checks at Treasure Island. He passed away at the age of 70 after a plane crash. 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. Ive got a lot of memories there, said Barney in an interview two years ago. [21], Schlichter said years later that he was distracted for much of his NFL career. Several lost tens of thousands of dollars. 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. He was the last starting quarterback for legendary Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes. [20] In 2021, The Athletic named him the worst #4 pick since the merger, noting that the Colts took Schlichter with McMahon and future Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen on the board. 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. She also claims that one time when she asked Schlichter what he was doing with the money, he told her, I cant tell you. Anita Saxton and her children were on vacation en route to Atlanta aboard Delta Flight 1288. He subsequently admitted that he "probably" used part of the money to gamble. In 2009, after Barney re-introduced herself at one of his church talks, Schlichter asked for a $10,000 loan to buy a car to visit his daughters in Indiana. He ultimately stole $500,000 from a dozen individualsincluding his fatherbefore he was arrested, pled guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. Schlichter often stole and conned money from friends and strangers when he ran low on funds to support his gambling. He would According to reports, the money was going to be used to buy tickets for football games, and the investors could make large profits. Former football player Art Schlichter visits Anita Barneys son after hes injured in a terrible plane crash. Even as cancer claimed her husband's life, Bob ensured his wife was financially secure and left her with chilling advice, Dont let a man take all of your money.. Click to reveal [1], On September 15, 2011, Schlichter pleaded guilty to state charges of theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Anita S. Saxton, 39, and her son Nolan Saxton, 12, of Scottville, Mich., were the only fatalities when pieces of the failed engine ripped into the cabin of the Delta Air Lines jet Saturday in Pensacola, Fla. ``We just want to be together for awhile and marshal our forces, said Mariam Saxton, the sister-in-law of Randy Saxton, Anitas husband. [2] Schlichter was the first NFL player to be suspended for gambling since Alex Karras and Paul Hornung were suspended in 1963 for betting on NFL games. Even during his CFL and Arena League days, head injuries were just considered part of the game. in Westerville, Ohio. However, according to a 1995 profile of Schlichter in Columbus Monthly, things escalated to the point that even without the AFL wanting to give the expansion Rockers a shot in the arm, he would have had to leave Detroit for his own safety. Stories of Ordinary People Who Have Experienced the Extraordinary. She avoided prison but was ordered to pay $427,000 to 19 victims. This time, he was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. They had a chance to win at least a share of the national championship in the Rose Bowl, but lost to USC by one point. I thought so much of him that I wore his jersey my senior year, Reliford said. Barneys body will be at Moreland Funeral Home at 55 East Schrock Rd. Anita Barney's husband, Bob Barney was the former CEO of Wendy's. Ernie Barney also later became an instrumental school board member in Ashland and was the Exhalted Ruler of the Elks here in 1953. More requests followed, with Schlichter enlisting her in what he said was a money-making investment involving the buying and selling of college football, NFL and Super Bowl tickets. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Why did Anita continue to give Schlichter money once he didnt pay her back? Schlichter still faces state prison time once his federal sentence ends. I feel so guilty. She adds, Im the worst victim. [10] By the end of the strike, he had at least $700,000 in gambling debts. 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. The FAA and NTSB continue to investigate. The wife and mother of a Calabasas father and son killed in a single-engine plane crash in Ventura County Sunday confirmed the identities of the two victims. But instead of garnering sympathy, Barney found herself vilified and facing her own criminal charges after talking numerous friends into handing over nearly $500,000 as part of the same scheme. 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. He claims this was in hopes of getting treatment for his addiction; however, his gambling continued unabated. She also borrowed money from friends, believing it was a solid investment and would earn them a good return. Schlichter continued to face legal problems after the end of his football career, including serving a 10-year sentence on gambling-related theft charges from 2011 to 2021. Tell-all book about Buckeye great who fell from grace and They discovered he'd visited gambling dens in Nevada, West Virginia, Indiana, and casino riverboats along the Ohio River. Barney went into the military after one semester at AJC, came back to Ashland Community College and then on to the University of Kentucky. [25] Even then, his gambling continued unabated; at various points in the 1992 season, there were police waiting for Schlichter in the dressing room. "My stom Lindsay Gibson is a writer, speaker and Joy Coach. [1][2] On several occasions he was seen at the track with Hayes' successor as head coach, Earle Bruce, a fact which helped cover up early problems emerging while Schlichter was at Ohio State.[3]. Associated Press Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report. [14], Soon afterward, in October, he was charged with fraud for passing $175,000 in bad checks at Las Vegas casinos, many of which he'd stolen from Kutner. The plane that the two were aboard, described as a single-engine Piper PA-28, crashed around 3:30 p.m. Sunday on private property near the 2700 block of Marvella Court, in an area of Ventura County near Thousand Oaks. 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. Torsson said he always taught the boys he coached to play like it was their last shift. Former football player Art Schlichter visits Anita Barneys son after hes injured in a terrible plane crash. I dont want anything to do with her because I still dont feel that shes sincere in anything she says, said David Froggatt, a high school classmate of Barneys and retired truck driver who lost $20,000. He admitted suffering a relapse, but the Rockers were willing to stand by him. In January 1987, Schlichter was arrested in New York City for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar sports betting operation. Thirty years earlier, Schlichter was a revered OSU star who had comforted Barneys son while he recovered from a plane crash. Schlichter was mentioned in the 2006 Prison Break episode "By the Skin and the Teeth" and in 2017 was the subject of Season 11, Episode 14 of American Greed titled "Art Schlichter, All American Fraud. Schlichter went to the FBI in March 1983 and his testimony helped get the bookies arrested on federal charges. [8] He turned his attention from horses to games by his junior year at Ohio State; by the end of that year he had lost thousands of dollars gambling on college and professional sports. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. [14] In a 2020 interview, former AFL commissioner Joe O'Hara said that around this time, Las Vegas oddsmaker Roxy Roxborough alerted league officials that Schlichter was betting on AFL games. I dont know what its for, but Ill be OK.. There are vultures who seek out the elderly and widows, in particular. However, Rozelle vetoed the deal, citing the January arrest. He lost it all, and when it was apparent he couldn't pay it back, the bank reported him to the FBI. [citation needed], In late 2009, Schlichter and his mother appeared in TV ads opposing an Ohio casino statewide ballot issue. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Now 74 and living off Social Security after surviving breast cancer, Barney is trying to publicly rebuild her reputation. Share her story with people you know, especially those who may be vulnerable because they are widowed or elderly. 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. Soon Barneys fortune was gone and she was begging Schlichter for grocery and gas money. [10] As it turned out, he lost a significant amount of money over the spring and summer while playing golf and wrote one of his golfing partners a check for $2,000. She believes that Schlichter set his sights on her soon after they met at a church in Westerville, Ohio, where he was speaking about his addiction. Witnesses reported seeing the plane fly low over the area before the crash. Mitzi formally divorced him soon afterward, in 1998. Watch more from this episode of Dr. Phil. [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. "Plays hockey, surfs, dives, travels the world," said Dylan's hockey coach Peter Torsson. Expected to be the starter, he lost the job to Mike Pagel, the Colts' fourth-round pick in that year. More requests followed, with Schlichter enlisting her in what he said was a money-making investment involving the buying and selling of college football, NFL and Super Bowl tickets. Cloudflare Ray ID: 78b6ee63e867200c Dylan had a bright future ahead. Further, Anitas late child, Alan Vatko, had been severely harmed in a 1981 plane accident that killed his dad and three others. Schlichter played for the Detroit Drive of the Arena Football League (AFL) in 1990 and 1991, where he was named MVP in the former en route to winning ArenaBowl IV. She was a victim, in every sense. 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. All of this time, its like forget, forgive, Noe said. He and several friends pooled their resources to bet on a race at Scioto Downs, and won. [1], Around the same time, Schlichter reunited with Anita Vatko Barney, a Columbus heiress and the widow of the former CEO of Wendy's. Noe, 72, accompanied Barney to a taping of Dr. Anita Barney's net worth in 2022 might be around $100k. According to AP News, she was living off her social security fund back in 2016 after losing a lot of money in the scam. However, she was financially well off when her husband died. Her husband Bob had left her fortune just shy of $1 million at the time of his death. [14] Prosecutors later discovered Schlichter had passed $500,000 in bad checks in Indiana, Nevada, and his native Ohio. [33] On May 4, 2012, as a result of the positive drug test, Schlichter was sentenced to 10 years, 7 months in federal prison (up from an original 8 years, 4 months sentence originally agreed to on the fraud case) to be served concurrently with the Ohio sentence, plus $2.2 million in restitution; the Indiana probation was canceled with the federal sentence. She was later sentenced to three years' probation. Anita S. Saxton, 39, and her son Nolan Saxton, 12, of Scottville, Mich., were the only fatalities when pieces of the failed engine ripped into the cabin of the Delta Anita was victimized by a successful football player. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. When O'Hara learned this, he ordered the Rockers to release Schlichter. [35] Brown added that he was sympathetic to Schlichter's health concerns, and would have been more than willing to grant an early release if there was any evidence of remorse. [4] Schlichter threw the interception that led to Hayes' assault on Clemson linebacker Charlie Bauman in the 1978 Gator Bowl, an act that led to the coach's firing the next day. Art Schlichter Victim Today Anita Barney's husband Wendy's onetime CEO Bob Barney's death left Anita with great wealth but she fell victim to Art Schlichter and his traps. Follow the article to learn more about what happened to Anita. Anita Barney is a widow of Bob Barney, onetime CEO and chairman of Wendy's. Robert L. Barney, the retired CEO and president of Wendys Old-Fashioned Hamburgers, succumbed after a three-month bout with cancer. Im not saying other people werent successful, but few did as much as Bob. [14], Schlichter ran up massive gambling debts while playing for the Detroit Drive, although general manager Gary Vitto helped pay some of them off. Derrick suffered a small burn on his shoulder and Spencer had a long gash on her face and a fractured leg. 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