A true story of an American dream gone wrong, Michael Asimos made headlines when he was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud, money laundering and other crimes. The story was featured on the cover of Newsweek magazine and was reported extensively on MSNBC and Fox News, but it also received media attention around the world. From his humble beginnings as a college football player at West Point to his rise as one of Wall Street’s most successful traders, Asimos’ life had all the elements of a rags-to-riches tale.
Mike Asimos, a West Point graduate with years of Wall Street con experience, is the author of The Real Life Con Game. Asimos was born in Charleston, South Carolina. After finishing his education at West Point Military Academy, he got a mechanical engineering degree in 1978. After getting his West Point graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army as an officer. Though he was forced to leave the military after suffering serious back injuries during the Gulf War. Asimos went on to establish himself as a successful businessman on Wall Street, but soon found himself spending more time dreaming about money than making it.
He made $8 million in just two years, with more than half of it coming from other financial institutions he duped into supporting his scams against them. With the success of these cons behind him, Michael con man began helping others build their own careers in the con business. Michael Asimos had an excellent life as a young guy. But, what should have been his shining moment turned into a disaster when the recession of 2008 hit Wall Street. Successful Wall Street broker Michael Mike Asimos became FBI informant, aiding authorities in exposing a significant securities fraud conspiracy. Despite years of masking his identity, he was sentenced to five years in jail for his role in the plot.
After serving time in prison, he was released and quickly began scamming again. But this time, the FBI had him under surveillance. He was arrested and convicted of mail fraud for a second time. He has not been involved in any more scams since then. The thing is, it doesn’t seem like any of his friends want him back either. They appear to believe that he is no longer credible in their eyes. I’m not sure what Mike Asimos will do next or whether there will finally be a redemption tale in this, but there’s no doubt that this is a difficult position. It’s said that he’ll play another con game in the future and try his luck again. But as it stands right now, Michael Asimos is really just an out-of-luck con man.