0:01 I got the divorce papers by email while
0:03 I was still in the desert 13 years of
0:05 marriage ended in a PDF attachment my
0:08 name is Nathan 42 years old staff
0:11 sergeant with the 82nd Airborne I'd been
0:14 in Kandahar for 4 months when Becky
0:15 decided she was done waiting the subject
0:18 line read let's be adults about this the
0:21 message itself was three sentences long
0:24 she'd already filed the paperwork she'd
0:26 already emptied our joint account she'd
0:28 already moved her new boyfriend Jeremy
0:30 into our house in Spokane I read the
0:32 email twice closed my laptop took a
0:34 shower in the communal stall got dressed
0:37 for my shift said nothing to anyone when
0:40 I got back to my bunk that night I
0:41 replied with one word understood that
0:45 was it no argument no begging no threats
0:48 Wilson my bunk mate noticed something
0:51 was off you good man he asked not
0:54 looking up from his book yeah I said
0:58 just some stuff back home he nodded and
1:00 that was the end of it military guys
1:03 know when to leave things alone truth is
1:05 I wasn't surprised 6 months before
1:08 deployment things had changed Small
1:10 Things Becky stopped asking about my day
1:13 started working late at the dental
1:15 office where she answered phones started
1:17 going to the gym three times a week but
1:20 never seemed to break a sweat new
1:22 clothes new friends I never met new
1:25 passwords on her phone I didn't confront
1:28 her didn't start checking her messages
1:30 or following her around that's not who I
1:32 am but I wasn't blind either so I made
1:35 some quiet moves of my own nothing
1:37 dramatic just precautions I secured
1:40 important documents in a storage unit
1:42 across town birth certificate marriage
1:44 license house deed with only my name on
1:47 it thanks to the VA loan military
1:49 benefits paperwork I moved my
1:51 grandfather's watch and my mom's old
1:53 silver to the same unit things that
1:56 mattered I also opened a separate
1:59 account at a different bank and started
2:00 diverting part of my pay there not
2:02 enough that she'd notice but enough that
2:04 I wouldn't be starting from zero if
2:06 things went South the night before I
2:08 deployed she hugged me at the airport
2:10 and said stay safe okay her eyes were
2:13 dry like she was saying goodbye to a
2:15 co-worker not a husband heading to War I
2:18 should have known then but part of me
2:20 still hoped I was wrong I wasn't what
2:23 she didn't know was that I'd prepared
2:25 for this moment and what she didn't
2:27 understand was that I never start fights
2:30 but I do finish them I met Becky at a
2:32 friend's barbecue in 2010 I was home
2:35 between tours staying with my buddy
2:37 Jason in Spokan she was finishing
2:39 nursing school but ended up working
2:41 admin at a dental practice instead less
2:44 stress she said we were married 8 months
2:49 later Becky used to say she was proud of
2:51 my service though she never quite
2:53 understood it her dad was a bank manager
2:55 her brother a pharmacist no military in
2:58 her family she'd ask when I was going to
3:00 get a real job not realizing that after
3:03 15 years the Army was my career not just
3:08 a job I was killing time at we bought
3:11 our house in
3:12 2014 nothing fancy but it was ours three
3:16 bedrooms small yard quiet neighborhood
3:19 my name was the only one on the mortgage
3:21 since the VA loan was in my name but I
3:22 added her to the deed because that's
3:24 what married people do share
3:27 things my dad died a year after we got
3:29 married heart attack while shoveling
3:31 snow my mom passed 3 years later lung
3:34 cancer though she never smoked a day in
3:36 her life they left me some money not a
3:39 fortune but enough that Becky and I
3:41 could pay off our student loans and
3:42 still have a
3:43 cushion I deployed four times during our
3:46 marriage Iraq twice Afghanistan twice
3:50 each time I came home Becky seemed a
3:51 little more distant a little more
3:53 Restless like she was playing a role
3:55 she'd
3:56 outgrown I didn't sign up to be a
3:58 military wife she told me once after I
4:01 mentioned possibly reuping for another
4:02 four years I'm tired of being alone all
4:05 the time I understood that I did but the
4:09 Army was the only place I ever felt like
4:11 I truly belonged I was good at my job
4:14 people depended on
4:15 me in 2019 things started changing small
4:20 stuff at first Becky got irritated when
4:22 I called during her girls nights started
4:24 talking about how her friend Melissa had
4:26 divorced her husband and was living her
4:29 best life now started making comments
4:33 about how we didn't really have anything
4:35 in common anymore I suggested counseling
4:38 she said we were fine just going through
4:39 a phase then came the late nights at
4:42 work the weekends away with friends I'd
4:44 never met the new clothes the gym
4:46 membership she rarely used I should have
4:49 confronted her but that's not how I
4:51 handle things never have my dad taught
4:54 me to think before I speak to be sure
4:57 before I act so I watched and I prepared
5:01 quietly because my gut was telling me
5:03 something was coming and in this life
5:06 you learned to trust your gut 2 weeks
5:08 after getting the divorce email I was
5:10 sitting in the mess hall when my phone
5:11 buzzed a notification from our bank app
5:15 another withdrawal $88,500 almost
5:18 everything that was
5:19 left I set my Fork down and opened the
5:22 app the joint account balance was down
5:24 to
5:26 $22.37 our savings $47,000 we'd built up
5:30 over years was gone completely
5:33 transferred to an account I didn't
5:35 recognize Murphy one of the guys from my
5:37 unit glanced over bad news I locked my
5:41 phone nah just some account stuff that
5:44 night I called our bank from the Bas
5:46 phone center turned out Becky had been
5:48 moving money for weeks small amounts at
5:50 first then larger ones the big transfers
5:53 started the day after I deployed I hung
5:55 up and stood in the hallway for a long
5:57 time watching guys laughing calling
5:59 their kids their wives their parents
6:01 normal life happening all around me
6:03 while mine was burning down that's when
6:05 Wilson found me heard from Alvarez that
6:09 you looked like you'd seen a ghost at
6:10 dinner he said what's up I don't usually
6:13 share personal stuff but Wilson had
6:16 pulled me out of a bad situation in
6:17 Kandahar once I trusted him my wife
6:21 emptied our accounts and moved her
6:22 boyfriend into our house I said sent
6:24 divorce papers while I was on patrol
6:26 last week Wilson didn't give me the
6:28 usual no I'm sorry or that's
6:31 rough or you'll find someone better he
6:34 just asked what's your plan not sure yet
6:37 I said he nodded let me know if you need
6:41 anything that night I couldn't sleep I
6:44 pulled out my laptop and logged into our
6:46 home security system something Becky
6:48 probably forgot I could access remotely
6:50 the cameras showed a strange truck in
6:52 our driveway a man I'd never seen before
6:54 walking our dog using my coffee mug
6:57 wearing my Seahawk sweatshirt
7:00 and there was Becky laughing in the
7:01 kitchen I'd renovated myself during my
7:03 last leave something shifted inside me
7:06 not anger exactly something colder
7:09 clearer I closed the laptop and pulled
7:12 out my phone made a list call James Army
7:15 buddy who became a lawyer check the VA
7:17 loan terms contact Master Sergeant about
7:20 emergency leave review home refinance
7:22 documents something Becky mentioned
7:24 casually last year check the security on
7:26 my military pension accounts I didn't
7:28 feel sad anymore anymore I didn't even
7:30 feel angry I felt focused like I was
7:34 planning a mission this wasn't about
7:36 emotion now this was about
7:39 strategy at 0500 before my shift started
7:42 I sent an email to James with the
7:44 subject line need legal help discreet
7:47 and
7:47 urgent his reply came an hour later call
7:51 me secure line
7:53 only when I hung up from that call I
7:55 knew exactly what I needed to do I
7:57 didn't need to yell I didn't need to
7:59 threaten I didn't even need to confront
8:01 her I just needed to wait and watch and
8:04 let her own actions become the Trap 2
8:06 months later I was back on American soil
8:09 I didn't tell Becky I was coming home
8:11 didn't call didn't text just checked
8:14 into a motel in downtown Spokan under a
8:16 different name and contacted James we
8:18 met at a diner 10 miles outside of town
8:21 you look like hell he said sliding into
8:23 the booth feel like it too I replied
8:27 James handed me a folder
8:29 everything we discussed the house deed
8:32 loan documents bank statements and this
8:35 he pulled out a separate paper found
8:38 something interesting when I was digging
8:39 into your
8:43 finances it was a refinance application
8:46 with my signature on it except it wasn't
8:48 my signature not quite someone had tried
8:51 to copy it but missed details the middle
8:53 initial was wrong and the stroke pattern
8:55 wasn't
8:56 mine Becky did this I asked though I I
8:59 already knew the answer James nodded 3
9:02 months ago use the equity to pull out
9:05 $330,000 your signature is required for
9:08 that since the VA loan is in your name
9:10 only Forge my signature take out a loan
9:13 against our house then clear out our
9:14 accounts and divorce me I said busy
9:17 woman it gets better James said she
9:21 listed her boyfriend as a co- applicant
9:23 heun's got a record two DUIs and a fraud
9:25 charge from
9:26 2019 I took a deep breath what are my
9:30 options several James said But first you
9:34 need to decide what you want I thought
9:37 about it I want what's legally mine and
9:40 I want her to understand
9:42 consequences James smiled then here's
9:45 what we do the next day I drove past our
9:48 house her boyfriend's truck was gone but
9:50 Becky's car was in the driveway I parked
9:52 down the street and watched for a while
9:54 thought about knocking on the door
9:56 confronting her but that wasn't the plan
9:59 instead I drove to the bank met with the
10:01 loan officer who had processed the
10:03 refinance showed him my military ID
10:06 showed him the real signature on my
10:07 driver's license showed him the forged
10:11 documents his face went pale I'll need
10:14 to report this
10:15 immediately I understand I said I've
10:17 already filed a police report that night
10:20 I got a text from Becky who have you
10:23 been talking to at the bank Jeremy said
10:26 someone was asking questions I didn't
10:28 respond
10:29 the next day I went to the county
10:31 clerk's office filed paperwork
10:33 contesting the refinance due to fraud
10:35 registered formal notice that no changes
10:37 to the property could be made without my
10:40 presence 2 Days Later Becky called I let
10:43 it go to voicemail Nathan we need to
10:46 talk the bank called about the house
10:47 what are you doing if this is about the
10:50 divorce we can discuss it like adults
10:52 like adults the same words from her
10:55 email I still didn't respond James
10:58 called that afternoon they froze the
11:01 refinance money and there's more your
11:03 wife's boyfriend has been driving your
11:05 truck right the one in your
11:07 name yeah he got pulled over this
11:10 morning driving on a suspended license
11:12 from those DUIs they impounded the
11:15 vehicle good I said he also had some
11:18 interesting things in the truck
11:20 prescription pads from the dental office
11:22 where Becky Works they weren't blank I
11:24 closed my eyes she's been stealing
11:27 prescription pads looks that way the
11:29 police are
11:31 investigating I hung up and sat on the
11:33 edge of the motel bed this was getting
11:35 bigger than I'd expected part of me
11:37 wanted to call Becky warn her old habits
11:40 but then I remembered the security
11:41 camera footage my house my dog my life
11:45 given away like it meant nothing number
11:48 this was the path now I couldn't turn
11:50 back and honestly I didn't want
11:52 to I met with the bank fraud
11:54 investigator the next morning name was
11:57 Thompson short guy with tired eyes and a
11:59 coffee stain on his
12:01 tie this happens more often than you'd
12:03 think he said spreading documents across
12:05 his desk spouse deploys other spouse
12:08 sees an
12:10 opportunity what happens now I asked
12:13 we've Frozen the funds from the
12:14 fraudulent refinance but there's a
12:16 problem some of the money's already gone
12:19 how much about half $14,600 I leaned
12:23 forward where did it go Thompson
12:27 hesitated I'm not supposed to share that
12:29 information it's my house my name forged
12:33 my money
12:34 stolen he nodded slowly then turned his
12:37 computer screen toward me these are the
12:39 transfers out of the refinance account I
12:42 scanned the list multiple transfers to
12:44 someone named Daniel Spencer not Jeremy
12:47 someone else I'd never heard
12:49 of who's Daniel Spencer I asked Thompson
12:52 Shrugged not my department but you
12:54 should ask your lawyer to subpoena these
12:56 records I called James as soon as I left
12:59 the bank Daniel Spencer he repeated let
13:01 me run a Check an hour later he called
13:04 back got it Daniel Spencer is a real
13:07 estate agent specializes in quick sales
13:10 cash
13:11 deals she was planning to sell our house
13:13 I said the realization hit me like a
13:16 physical blow looks that way the
13:18 deposits were probably earnest money to
13:20 get him moving on a listing but here's
13:22 where it gets interesting Spencer has
13:24 done business with Jeremy Ryan
13:27 before Jeremy Ryan is is that your
13:30 wife's boyfriend yes they've closed
13:32 three Deals together in the past 2
13:34 years I sat down on a park bench trying
13:37 to process this so this wasn't just
13:40 Becky leaving me for some guy this was
13:43 what a planned
13:45 operation maybe James said
13:48 carefully I did some digging into Jeremy
13:51 Ryan he has a pattern gets involved with
13:54 women going through divorce or with
13:55 deployed spouses three cases I found so
13:58 far each time the woman's home gets sold
14:00 well below market value to one of
14:02 Spencer's clients Ryan gets a cut then
14:05 he moves on and Becky she knew about
14:09 this hard to say maybe she's a victim
14:11 too or maybe she's in on it I rubbed my
14:14 face this wasn't just about Becky
14:16 betraying me anymore this was something
14:18 bigger something calculated and other
14:21 military families had been
14:23 victims what do we do I asked I've
14:26 already contacted the FBI's Financial
14:28 crime division James said this crosses
14:31 state lines involves military personnel
14:33 and VA loans they're
14:36 interested that night I sat in my motel
14:38 room with a beer thinking about
14:39 everything wondering if Becky had been
14:41 playing me our entire marriage or if
14:43 she'd gotten swept up in Jeremy's scheme
14:46 wondering if it even mattered my phone
14:49 buzzed Becky again Nathan please call me
14:53 the bank is saying something about fraud
14:55 and Jeremy got arrested for driving your
14:57 truck I don't understand what's
14:58 happening
14:59 happing I stared at the message for a
15:01 long time then I typed who is Daniel
15:05 Spencer three dots appeared as she
15:07 started typing then stopped started
15:09 again stopped finally I don't know what
15:13 you're talking
15:14 about 14,600 I wrote multiple transfers
15:18 house listing no response for 10 minutes
15:21 then it's not what you think I turned
15:25 off my phone and went to bed the next
15:27 morning James called FBI wants to meet
15:30 they've been investigating Ryan and
15:32 Spencer for months you're not the first
15:34 but you might be the case that breaks it
15:36 open for the first time since getting
15:39 that divorce email I felt something
15:40 close to satisfaction not because my
15:43 marriage was over but because the truth
15:45 was finally coming out I met with the
15:47 FBI agents at their field office in
15:50 Spokane agent Patel and agent Donovan
15:53 they recorded my statement took copies
15:55 of all the documents James and I had
15:57 gathered
15:59 your case helps establish a pattern
16:00 agent Patel explained shows intent
16:03 organization makes it a conspiracy
16:05 rather than isolated
16:07 incidents what about Becky I asked my
16:11 wife ex-wife the agents exchanged
16:14 looks we still determining her level of
16:17 involvement Donovan said carefully did
16:19 she ever mention financial difficulties
16:21 pressure to sell the house I thought
16:23 back she kept saying we were house poor
16:26 that we should downsize I didn't see the
16:28 need our mortgage payments were
16:29 manageable on my salary Patel made a
16:32 note when did that
16:35 start about 6 months ago around the time
16:38 she must have met
16:39 Jeremy and the refinance Donovan asked
16:43 never discussed it with me she forged my
16:45 signature while I was
16:47 deployed they asked more questions took
16:49 more notes when we finished Patel handed
16:52 me her card we'll be in touch in the
16:55 meantime don't confront your wife or
16:56 Ryan we need to build this case
16:58 carefully
16:59 I nodded
17:02 understood that evening I drove to our
17:04 neighborhood again parked down the
17:06 street from our house Jeremy's truck was
17:08 back must have gotten it out of impound
17:10 Becky's car was gone my phone buzzed
17:13 text from Becky we need to talk in
17:15 person meet me at Riverfront Park
17:19 tomorrow I showed the text to James over
17:22 breakfast the next day don't go he
17:24 advised nothing good can come from
17:26 talking to her right now I won't I said
17:30 but I want to know what she's doing
17:31 today while she thinks I'm meeting her
17:33 we drove to our house at 9:30 a.m.
17:36 parked across the street at 9:45 Becky
17:39 came out got in her car and drove away
17:41 heading toward Riverfront Park now what
17:44 James asked now we wait I
17:47 said 20 minutes later A car pulled up
17:51 real estate agent logo on the door
17:52 Daniel
17:53 Spencer Jeremy came out to greet him
17:56 they talked in the driveway then went
17:58 inside
17:59 should we follow them James asked I
18:02 shook my head no need I installed
18:05 security cameras last year interior and
18:07 exterior they upload to cloud storage
18:10 James smiled you didn't mention that
18:13 before never came up I said pulling out
18:16 my phone I opened the security app and
18:18 angled the screen so James could see
18:20 Spencer and Jeremy were in our living
18:22 room Spencer was taking photos Jeremy
18:25 was pointing at features of the house I
18:27 turned up the volume
18:29 should list by the end of the week
18:31 Spencer was saying I've got a buyer
18:33 interested already cash offer as usual
18:37 how much Jeremy asked 420 we list at 470
18:41 they offer 420 everybody's
18:44 happy what about the husband Becky says
18:47 he's causing trouble Spencer waved
18:50 dismissively military guys are all the
18:52 same they make noise but they've got
18:54 deployments responsibilities he'll take
18:56 a settlement to make it go away
18:59 I turned to James you getting this he
19:02 was already recording the feed on his
19:04 phone every word I forwarded the
19:07 security feed access to agent Patel with
19:09 a short message Happening Now 30 minutes
19:13 later our house was surrounded by FBI
19:15 vehicles I watched from down the street
19:17 as agents LED Spencer and Jeremy out in
19:20 handcuffs my phone rang agent
19:23 Patel got them on tape discussing the
19:25 fraud scheme she said plus conspiracy
19:28 wire fraud and attempting to sell
19:30 property under false pretenses we going
19:32 to need a formal statement from you of
19:35 course I said and Mr Briggs your wife
19:38 just arrived at the scene she's
19:41 distressed I looked down the street
19:44 Becky was standing on our lawn hands
19:46 over her mouth watching as FBI agents
19:48 carried boxes of documents from our
19:50 house what happens to her I
19:52 asked that depends Patel said on what
19:56 she knew and on what you want I watched
19:59 Becky for a long moment 13 years of
20:01 marriage good years at the beginning
20:04 before whatever this had
20:06 become I just want what's right I said
20:09 finally the federal case moved quickly
20:12 Jeremy and Spencer both took plea deals
20:14 implicating each other and several other
20:16 conspirators in what turned out to be a
20:17 three-state operation targeting military
20:20 families Becky maintained she knew
20:22 nothing about the larger scheme said
20:24 Jeremy had convinced her I was hiding
20:26 money planning to leave her with nothing
20:28 said the refinance was his idea she'd
20:30 just gone along with it maybe that was
20:33 true maybe it wasn't either way she
20:36 agreed to a settlement full restitution
20:38 of the stolen funds forfeiture of any
20:41 claim to the house or my military
20:43 pension a signed confession about the
20:45 forgery in exchange I didn't press
20:47 charges the divorce was finalized 6
20:50 months after that email from Kandahar no
20:52 fault clean break all things
20:55 considered on the day the last paperwork
20:57 was signed I got a call from agent Patel
21:00 Jeremy Ryan was sentenced today 8 years
21:02 for fraud conspiracy and identity theft
21:05 Spencer got 12 thought you'd want to
21:07 know thank you I said there's something
21:11 else she added we found evidence they've
21:14 done this to 11 other military families
21:17 your case helped us build the pattern
21:19 those families might get their money
21:20 back because of you after we hung up I
21:23 sat on the porch of my rental apartment
21:25 watching the sunset thinking about those
21:27 other families
21:29 other men who deployed thinking their
21:30 homes and marriages were safe only to
21:32 come back to emptiness I hadn't planned
21:35 on being the one to bring down Jeremy in
21:36 Spencer's operation I just wanted what
21:39 was mine but sometimes things work out
21:41 in ways you don't expect my phone buzzed
21:45 text from Becky I never meant for things
21:47 to end this way I didn't respond there
21:50 was nothing left to say a year later I
21:53 sold the house couldn't stand to live in
21:55 it anymore too many memories too much
21:58 betrayal in those walls I used the money
22:00 to buy a small cabin outside of Missoula
22:02 Montana two bedrooms 10 acres of land a
22:06 creek running behind it no neighbors for
22:08 Miles I took early retirement from the
22:11 Army 20 years was enough I'd given
22:13 enough I got a dog German Shepherd named
22:16 Scout started doing carpentry work for
22:19 locals nothing fancy but it kept my
22:21 hands busy and paid the bills my
22:23 military pension covered the rest
22:26 sometimes I thought about Becky wondered
22:28 where she ended up James heard she'd
22:30 moved back to her hometown in Oregon
22:32 working at another dental office
22:34 starting over I guess I didn't hate her
22:36 anymore didn't much feel anything about
22:39 her to be honest she'd made her choices
22:41 and so had I one evening I got a letter
22:44 from a woman in Fort Worth her husband
22:46 was in the Navy deployed when Jeremy and
22:48 Spencer tried to run their scheme on her
22:50 the FBI had given her my name as part of
22:52 the
22:53 case you don't know me she wrote but you
22:56 saved our home thank you were fighting
22:58 back when it would have been easier to
23:00 just walk away I read it twice then
23:03 pinned it to my refrigerator some days
23:05 when the silence got too loud or the
23:07 memories too sharp I'd look at that
23:09 letter and remember that something good
23:10 had come from all of it last I heard
23:13 Jeremy was still in prison Spencer too
23:15 the system worked for once as for me I
23:18 was finding my way forward one quiet day
23:20 at a time building something new
23:23 something that couldn't be stolen or
23:24 forged or betrayed something that was
23:27 just mine for
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