[1], In the winter of 1982 and the spring of 1983, Schlichter lost $489,000 betting on basketball games and his bookies threatened to expose him if he did not pay up (the NFL forbids its players from engaging in any kind of gambling activity, legal or otherwise). 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. On the morning of Nov. 3, Gary drove 60 miles from his home south of Dayton, Ohio, to Union City. He told others that if they fronted him the money to buy the tickets, he would share the profits, but instead used the money to gamble. [4] During this time, he appeared on The Phil Donahue Show, talking about his addiction. But even as he railed against casinos during church appearances, he was racking up new gambling debts. Two other members of the Saxton family were among at least seven injured on the plane. Barney has pledged to pay people back with any proceeds from her book. She had every reason to TRUST him. I dont know what its for, but Ill be OK.. Becki Reiser is an author of Through My Tears - Awash in Forgiveness. The Rough Riders placed him on injured reserve for 30 days then released him.[14]. Although the Columbus and OSU police departments became suspicious, the athletic department felt it lacked enough evidence to go to the NCAA about the matter. But her story does not end there. The aircraft clipped at least one power line before it crashed into a horse arena, according to authorities. Some of Barneys victims have stood by According to The Indianapolis Star, he continued to gamble while in prison; he had women place bets for him and was running a Super Bowl ticket scheme from inside prison. Art and Anita first met in 1981 after her son Alan survived a plane crash. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Barney pleaded guilty herself to two felony theft charges in 2012. [2], Schlichter, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction inmate #A777924, was incarcerated at Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown. Im not saying other people werent successful, but few did as much as Bob. He amassed a quarterback rating of only 42.6 and is considered one of the biggest draft failures in NFL history. Schlichter was incarcerated at FCI Williamsburg in Salters, South Carolina and later spent time at FCI Florence in Florence, Colorado. Barney accepted that Alan was recuperating quickly, as Schlichter was visiting him frequently in the clinic. Watch more from this episode of Dr. Phil. Schlichter still faces state prison time once his federal sentence ends. Well, Mixed Article can confirm that the couples were blessed with a son named Alan Vatko. She eventually got a reverse mortgage on her house for $185,000, she claims at Schlichters request, and says she didnt keep any of the money for herself. I cry every day about this and I pray to God that they understand, Barney said. At the time, he was Ohio State's all-time leader in total offense. According to Snook, doctors believe that Schlichter has chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease caused by repeated blows to the head. In a desperate attempt to stem the tide, he promised to get tickets for Super Bowl XLV. Former football player Art Schlichter visits Anita Barneys son after hes injured in a terrible plane crash. Thirty years earlier, Schlichter was a revered OSU star who had comforted Barneys son while he recovered from a plane crash. Barney has pledged to pay people back with any proceeds from her book. 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 claims this was in hopes of getting treatment for his addiction; however, his gambling continued unabated. Soon Barneys fortune was gone and she was begging Schlichter for grocery and gas money. Doctors have diagnosed Schlichter with Parkinson's disease and dementiathe side effects of numerous concussions (between 15 and 17, depending on the source) suffered over 20 years of football at junior high, high school, college and professional levels. Barney and Schlichter met for the first time after her first husband was killed in a plane crash and her son was severely injured, Art was introduced to Barney by her neighbor girl. Barney, the widow of a former Wendys CEO, was accustomed to helping people. He was named the starter out of camp and saw his first meaningful game action in three years. Kutner also had doubts, knowing about Schlichter's penchant for gambling. Her son, Alan Vatko, had been gravely injured in a 1981 plane crash that killed his father and three others; Barney believed that Alan's recovery was due in large part to Schlichter visiting his bedside. Over the next two-plus years, Schlichter conned over a million dollars out of Barney, nearly depleting her fortune. [1] [4] Soon after arriving in Cincinnati, he was arrested in July for passing a bad check. [9], In parts of three seasons, Schlichter played only 13 games, primarily in backup or "mop-up" roles. Now 74 and living off Social Security after surviving breast cancer, Barney is trying to publicly rebuild her reputation. [27][14], He was released from prison on June 16, 2006, and resided with his mother in Washington Court House, Ohio. Listen to her story by clicking the arrow below. In an exclusive interview with Dr. Phil, Anita shares her side of the story. In January 1987, Schlichter was arrested in New York City for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar sports betting operation. Robert L. Barney, the retired CEO and president of Wendys Old-Fashioned Hamburgers, succumbed after a three-month bout with cancer. Barneys roots run deep in Ashland sports history. [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. 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. The coroner also independently released the victims' names. However, he was allowed to save face by publicly announcing his retirement. [9][14] That arrest came back to haunt him that summer. Dylan had a bright future ahead. Associated Press Researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report. He ultimately stole $500,000 from a dozen individualsincluding his fatherbefore he was arrested, pled guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. Her son, Alan Vatko, had been gravely injured in a 1981 plane crash that killed his father and three others; Barney believed that Alan's recovery was due in large part to Schlichter visiting his bedside. Approximately one hour later, near the cornfield of farmer Harold Cameron, Caradori's plane crashed, with the debris stretching over a mile. Jim Kelly, the Bills' 1983 first-round pick, had bolted to the USFL instead but signed with the Bills when the USFL lost its antitrust lawsuit. Also, her son was seriously injured in the crash. [31][1] A month later, on October 11, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and filing a false tax return. 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. All of this time, its like forget, forgive, Noe said. Noe, 72, accompanied Barney to a taping of Dr. Soon after, Schlichter asked for $100,000 to pay off gambling debts and help other gambling addicts. [14] He was a communications major at Ohio State and had done some radio work in his high school and college days. She also borrowed money from friends, believing it was a solid investment and would earn them a good return. Schlichter was charged with a first-degree felony in connection with the theft of more than $1 million on February 14, 2011. According to his father, Max, Hayes was so enthralled with Art that he was willing to jettison his "three yards and a cloud of dust" offense and throw as many as 25 times a game if he signed with the Buckeyes. Many of Barneys victims were well-known and well-off suburban Columbus residents reluctant to get involved in a criminal case. Anita Saxton and her children were on vacation en route to Atlanta aboard Delta Flight 1288. Schlichter was picked fourth in the 1982 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts (who moved to Indianapolis two years later). [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. Witnesses reported seeing the plane fly low over the area before the crash. Low around 45F. He also wrote an autobiography, Busted, with sportswriter Jeff Snook. Delta spokesman Bill Berry said an early investigation indicated parts from the engine penetrated the cabin and caused the two deaths. She was later sentenced to three years' probation. Thirty years earlier, Schlichter was a revered OSU star who had comforted Barneys son while he recovered from a plane crash. In 2007, Schlichter was listed as the #7 all-time draft bust on the NFL Network's Top 10 Draft Busts episode. His aunt, Marie Hamm, was a longtime high school cheerleading sponsor at Ashland. In 2009, after Barney re-introduced The NFL has suspended him for life. Viewing will be Tuesday and the funeral is Wednesday. Some of Barneys victims have stood by her. He sat out the 1986 season after no other team expressed interest. He subsequently admitted that he "probably" used part of the money to gamble. [14], Schlichter ran up massive gambling debts while playing for the Detroit Drive, although general manager Gary Vitto helped pay some of them off. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. I also lost my family and friends, says Anita Barney, who was married to the CEO of the fast-food chain Wendys. However, when the golfing partner called the Colts to see if the check was good, team and league officials feared Schlichter had relapsed. By the time she realized what Art was doing, he began to threaten her if she would not comply with his constant requests for more money. 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. [1] He moved to Las Vegas in 1989 soon after marrying longtime girlfriend Mitzi Shinaver. 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. Well, Mixed Article can confirm that the couples I believed my friends would get their money back, and I was very excited about that because I was going to make my friends money -- never dreaming he was lying, never, Anita shares. [13], He was reinstated for the 1984 season but later admitted that he'd gambled during his suspension (though not on football). [2], Mitzi claims that, in order to protect herself and her children, she never allowed Art to have a checkbook. The 73-year-old woman who was once married to the CEO of the fast-food chain Wendys, says that she lost her home and her car and had to file for bankruptcy. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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. He found greater success in the AFL, where he was named Most Valuable Player and led the Drive to victory in ArenaBowl IV during the 1990 season, but was also forced out due to his addiction. Soon after, Schlichter asked for $100,000 to pay off gambling debts and help other gambling addicts. Chance of rain 90%. He threw 202 passes and completed 91 of them. Several lost tens of thousands of dollars. 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