The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Apollo Nida pleaded guilty to charges of mail, wire and bank fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. He could be going to jail for a long, long time. Apollo Nida’s crimes could land him in prison for up to 30 years and a fine of up to $1 million on top of restitution for an estimated $2.3 million he allegedly defrauded. His co-conspirator Gayla St. Julien, who said Nida ran the show and helped turn him in after she was arrested, has received a sentence of 61 months last month. Nida will be sentenced on July 8 at 2 p.m. The assistant U.S. attorney said Apollo opened a fake debt collection agency to gain access to databases full of individuals’ personal information. He would then steal people’s ID and find unclaimed funds , refunds from HUD, stolen treasury checks and refunds from fraudulent U.S. income tax returns. Nida had St. Julien open UPS mailboxes and bank checking accounts using those fake identities, deposit those checks, then pocket the money. So why would he do it when he’s already well taken care of by wife Phaedra Parks? Partly for that reason, he said in court. The pressure to keep up was intense! Nida said he takes “full responsibility for my actions” and expressed regret for hurting his family and any individuals and institutions affected by his fraud. Apollo Nida Pleads Guilty In ID Theft Scheme “It was a dumb situation I put myself in,” he said. In 2009, Nida had just left prison after five years for racketeering charges related to auto title fraud. He and Phaedra Parks , a prominent attorney, married. He said she was making far more than him and he felt pressure to keep up. Without easy legitimate ways to make quick money, he opted for this scheme. He said he even had a nervous breakdown at one point over the pressures to “sustain a lifestyle … I got sucked in and engulfed and lost sight of things,” he said. But he claimed to her he was running a legitimate debt recovery firm and kept her firmly in the dark. And once he started the scheme, he found it difficult to stop. Nida said he often didn’t think about whether this was hurting anybody because he was primarily targeting businesses and the government, not individuals. “It’s my fault at the end of the day,” he said. Since Nida is not expected to go to prison until July, when you watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta next season, this will definitely play out on Bravo. Celebrities Who Have Been Arrested in 2014 Open Slideshow 1. Lil Za Did Lil Za take the rap for Justin Bieber? He was arrested for possessing drugs inside the singer’s home. View As List 1. Lil Za Did Lil Za take the rap for Justin Bieber? He was arrested for possessing drugs inside the singer’s home. 2. Tyler the Creator Gotta love Tyler the Creator. Here’s his mug shot after he incited a riot at SXSW. 3. Young Jeezy Young Jeezy was arrested for allegedly beating up his son and threatening to kill him in January. 4. Justin Bieber Justin Bieber was caught speeding and allegedly drag racing during a late night out in Miami. 5. Columbus Short Columbus Short was arrested after an alleged domestic violence incident with his wife. 6. Paul Simon & Edie Brickell Paul Simon and Edie Brickell were charged with disorderly conduct following a domestic dispute at their home in Connecticut. 7. Chris Pine Chris Pine was booked for driving under the influence in March. Silly Star Trek star. 8. Flavor Flav Flavor Flav wasn’t just arrested for speeding and drug possession. He was arrested for these things on the way to his mom’s funeral! 9. David Cassidy David Cassidy has to go to jail for a long time. He has been arrested THREE times for drunk driving. 10. Andrea Clevenger Andrea Clevenger starred on the show Cheer Perfection. She was arrested for raping a minor. 11. Darren Sharper Darren Sharper made multiple All-Pro teams in the NFL. But he was arrested for rape in his retirement. 12. Soulja Boy Silly Soulja Boy. He was booked on charges of gun possession in Los Angeles. 13. Matt Hardy Matt Hardy, a former WWE champion, was arrested for assaulting his wife in a bloody hotel fight. 14. Chris Kattan Chris Kattan was not funny on Saturda Night Live. Even less funny? His arrest for DUI. 15. Bree Walker Bree Walker is a former Los Angeles news anchor. She made news for drinking and driving. 16. Sam Worthington Sam Worthington allegedly beat up a photographer after the man allgedly kicked the actor’s girlfriend in the leg. 17. Raymond Felton Raymond Felton was arrested in early 2014 on weapons charges. He was already having a terrible years on the Knicks. 18. George Lopez George Lopez drunk at the casino. He got arrested after this display. 19. Kate Major Kate Major has been arrested for DUI after trying to drive away from a violent argument with Michael Lohan. 20. Chief Keef Chief Keef was arrested for DUI in March … two weeks after leaving rehab. 21. Jim Irsay Jim Irsay is the owner of the Colts. He was arrested in 2014 for drunk driving. 22. Anita Baker An arrest warrant was issued for singer Anita Baker after no-showing a number of court dates. 23. Courtland Rogers Jenelle Evans’ estranged husband Courtland Rogers gets arrested like all the time. 24. Colin Egglesfield After being arrested for breaking s–t at an art show, The Client List star Colin Egglesfield could use a rub down from Jennifer Love Hewitt. 25. Keyshawn Johnson Keyshawn Johnson is a former first round NFL draft pick. He was arrested for domestic abuse in April 2014. 26. Tim Zickuhr The mug shot for Ice Road Truckers star Tim Zickuhr after he tossed a prostitute out of his apartment window. 27. The-Dream The-Dream poses here on Instagram. He was arrested in the spring of 2014 and charged with felony assault.
See the article here:
Apollo Nida on Fraud & Identity Theft Scandal: So Much Pressure to Keep Up with Phaedra!
