Former Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter has already been to jail 44 times over the past 17 years, largely for fraud and/or forgery involving a gambling addiction.
He may have reached 45.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Schlichter began soliciting money two years ago from people for an “investment opportunity” involving brokering and selling tickets for, among other events, Ohio State football games and the Super Bowl. The ROI was supposed to come around last night’s game, when Schlichter was planning to sell tickets for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Instead, Schlichter was reportedly using the money he received, estimated to be in the millions, to fuel his gambling addiction.
One of the people duped by Schlichter’s “investment opportunity” was -- oddly -- Anita Barney, the 68-year-old widow of former Wendy’s CEO and chairman Robert Barney. Barney helped fund Schlichter’s investment scheme until her assets were depleted, at which point she began soliciting associates and friends for money. According to lawsuits, the amount she solicited is ranging anywhere from $29,000 to over $200,000.
No charges have been confirmed in the case. Schlichter has only admitted that he planns to speak to authorities and that he had a serious, serious problem (which is, I believe, the first step toward recovery).
“It will help a lot of people,” Schlichter said in a text message to the Dispatch. “This addiction is a (expletive.)”