His gambling spiraled out of control during the 1982 NFL strike; he lost $20,000 betting on college football. He said you will never, ever, see me bet any money again.. His star faded when his demons turned him into a gambling addict; swapping . 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. Click below to sign in. Art Schlichters income source is mostly from being a successful Player. She married Schlichter in 1989 and, at first, had no idea he was gambling. 1 in this weeks top 20 high school softball rankings, Eric Kendricks finds himself in middle of a big hole in Chargers defense, Hunter Renfroes three-run blast powers Angels to rain-disrupted win over Red Sox, Jalen Hurts agrees to five-year, $255-million extension with Eagles, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? He also sought the help of the NFL because he feared the bookies would force him to throw games in return for not telling the Colts about his activities. Art Schlichter was born on April 25, 1960 in Washington Court House, Ohio, USA. While under house arrest awaiting assignment to a state prison, Schlichter tested positive for cocaine while serving house arrest on federal charges resulting from the same case (and while still on probation from his Indiana sentence) on January 19, 2012. Don't gamble? A month later, on October 11, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and filing a false tax return. All rights reserved. There is no question Art Schlichter is the most famous & most loved celebrity of all the time. 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. It would be Schlichters last meaningful action in the NFL. What's your reaction to that, and what solutions would you suggest to rectify the situation? We took all the normal precautions, he was just very good, said Dean Harold, a vice president at Ballys, where Schlichter bounced various checks. And con people, he did. The events included Indiana Pacers and Indianapolis Colts games, as well as the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament. Advertisers on the show didnt fare much better. He also passed bad checks. Schlichter pleaded guilty in January 2001 to money laundering, forging securities and unauthorized use of credit cards to pay gambling debts. He was released from prison on June 16, 2006, and resided with his mother in Washington Court House, Ohio. At one major Las Vegas Strip sports book, Schlichter was a regular customer with a penchant for betting $2,000 on four-team parlays. In a desperate attempt to stem the tide, he promised to get tickets for Super Bowl XLV. After all, it does take time to gamble. In less than one year, he had swindled me out of $3 million, she says. 2023 Leaders Group. Soon afterward, in October, he was charged with fraud for passing $175,000 in bad checks at Las Vegas casinos, many of which hed stolen from KVEGs owner. In a 2007 interview for ESPNs Outside the Lines, he estimated that hed stolen $1.5 million over the years, if not more. You will be able to share this link with anyone and everyone, even on social media. This time he faced money-laundering charges stemming from a scheme that included making unauthorized charges on his father's credit cards. That arrest came back to haunt him that summer. In parts of three seasons, Schlichter played only 13 games, primarily in backup or mop-up roles. Even then, he was so consumed by his habit that he had his public defender smuggle a cell phone into prison so he could place bets. Schlichter didnt know his son had a gambling addiction until 1983, when Art, threatened by bookies and badly in debt, went to the FBI for help. Of course, they all bounced.. Help us build our profile of Art Schlichter! Here's what happened to ex-Colts quarterback Art Schlichter, whom 'Sportscasting' describes as 'the man who had everything and threw it all away.' It almost put us out of business.. He and several friends pooled their resources to bet on a race at Scioto Downs, and won. Over the next two-plus years, Schlichter conned over a million dollars out of Barney, nearly depleting her fortune. "He's an interesting person because he commits crimes that hurt people financially, but he adores his kids," said Mitzi Schlichter, who works at a gambling addiction center in Indiana and travels the country giving speeches. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Don't start gambling? Ohio State Quarterback Art Schlichter got a similar signal last fall when, as an 18-year-old freshman playing in his first college game, he threw five interceptions and ended up face down a whole lot while the Buckeyes took an ignominious 19-0 thrashing from Penn State. By one estimate, he owed half a million dollars in restitution. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil, Anita shares her side of the story. Athletically there wasnt anything he couldnt do, said his father, Max Schlichter. All told, between 1995 and 2006, he served the equivalent of ten years in 44 different county jails and federal prisons. SBJ I Factor presented by Allied Sports features an interview with Navigate founder A.J. They were wrong. Even then, he was so consumed by his habit that he had his public defender smuggle a cell phone into prison so he could place bets. They discovered hed visited gambling dens in Nevada, West Virginia, Indiana, and casino riverboats along the Ohio River. More than two decades of archival stories, profiles, research and data. He threw 202 passes and completed 91 of them. Instead, it plunged him deeper in debt, leaving him increasingly desperate for ways to get money. Arthur Ernest Schlichter has a net worth of $5.00 million (Estimated) which he earned from his occupation as American football player. 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. He would write a check to the casino and use the money to gamble, believing he would win enough money to pay the casino back and keep the profit. Around the same time, Schlichter reunited with Anita Vatko Barney, a Columbus heiress and the widow of the former CEO of Wendy's. Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you. This time, he was sentenced to eight years in federal prison. 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. Was she in love with him and did they have a romantic relationship? By late 2010, Schlichter sensed he was nearing the end of his tether. Art cant go out and sell his autograph to make money, Wexler said. However, he almost always lost. He also wrote an autobiography, Busted, with sportswriter Jeff Snook. However, when the golfing partner called the Colts to see if the check was good, team and league officials feared Schlichter had relapsed. Even on the occasions Schlichter did win, he wasnt rich for long. Did you think about us? By the end of the strike, he had at least $700,000 in gambling debts. She was also ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution, forcing her to auction off nearly all she owned and give up her house. After playing starting quarterback for coaches Woody Hayes and Earle Bruce at the Ohio State University, he was picked in the first round of the 1982 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts. Hes just a very sick person who cant stop gambling.. You lied to me. Art Schlichter was born with gifts. If all his teams covered their respective spreads, he would walk away with $22,000. Soon after arriving in Cincinnati, he was arrested in July for passing a bad check. Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Art Schlichter, who suffers from dementia, Parkinson's disease and, lawyers say, too many addictions to count could be sent back to prison this week, the. April 1982: The Baltimore Colts picked Schlichter in the first round of the National Football League draft. Prosecutors later discovered Schlichter had passed $500,000 in bad checks in Indiana, Nevada, and his native Ohio. He was born on April 25, 1960, in Bloomingburg, Ohio.Bloomingburg is a beautiful and populous city located in Bloomingburg, Ohio United States of America. Schlichter was the fourth overall pick in the 1982 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, and lost his starting job during his rookie year to Mike Pagel and . Art Schlichter Early Life Story, Family Background and Education Enough so that prosecutors asked that Schlichter remain jailed pending his Jan. 27 sentencing so he couldnt take anyone else for money. During summer months, he would throw 2,500 passes each week to hone his arm. Also find out how he got rich at the age of 61. Schlichter finished in the top six of Heisman Trophy balloting during his last three yearsfourth as a sophomore, sixth as a junior and fifth as a senior. Her thought was, `If you love me, why would you do that? I don't know. Former Ohio State quarterback Arthur Schlichter will be making an appearance in a Franklin County (Ohio) courtroom on Friday morning, accused of possessing about a quarter-gram of cocaine.. Scroll Down and find everything about him. Make no mistake about that. In a few minutes, father and son would have a tearful reunion in the visiting area, separated by thick glass and able to talk only by telephone. The story of her family's struggle to cope with Art Schlichter's addiction to gambling and his resulting time in prison has been the subject of feature stories by network TV newsmagazines and numerous publications. Instead, he has agreed in a plea bargain to spend 18 to 24 months in federal jail for stealing up to $500,000 to feed the gambling impulses that eventually consumed him. 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