1 00:00:01,467 --> 00:00:02,767 NARRATOR: Brooklin Donohue grows up 2 00:00:02,867 --> 00:00:05,333 adoring her successful father. 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:10,166 My dad is a very driven alpha male, and that's what 4 00:00:10,266 --> 00:00:12,834 I was looking for when I was looking for a partner. 5 00:00:12,967 --> 00:00:16,333 NARRATOR: Then Paul Carter roars into her life with style. 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:22,266 BROOKLIN: Paul showed up in a bright yellow sports car. 7 00:00:22,367 --> 00:00:25,734 He was very sexual and very driven, 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,667 and I appealed to him -- that made me feel great. 9 00:00:29,767 --> 00:00:33,266 NARRATOR: But soon, the thrill ride gets out of control. 10 00:00:33,367 --> 00:00:35,433 We gave him the moniker the Casanova Con Man, 11 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:37,634 because his biggest cons were of women. 12 00:00:37,767 --> 00:00:40,834 He's an opportunist, and he's a scoundrel. 13 00:00:40,967 --> 00:00:43,166 All these revelations are coming out 14 00:00:43,266 --> 00:00:45,433 from people who he has ripped off. 15 00:00:45,500 --> 00:00:47,734 ANEEKA: This is where things took a dangerous turn, 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,634 and he made a threat against her life. 17 00:00:49,700 --> 00:00:51,333 SEAN: You can't get away from a predator. 18 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:52,667 NARRATOR: And Brooklin's ride into 19 00:00:52,767 --> 00:00:56,066 the sunset comes crashing down around her. 20 00:00:56,166 --> 00:00:58,133 BROOKLIN: I went out and bought myself a rifle. 21 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,433 I was terrified of what might happen. 22 00:01:06,467 --> 00:01:10,634 [theme music playing] 23 00:01:22,567 --> 00:01:26,634 BROOKLIN: I grew up in Australia in a fairly rural area 24 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:29,066 on a cow farm. 25 00:01:29,166 --> 00:01:32,333 My favorite memories of being on the farm 26 00:01:32,467 --> 00:01:36,433 was spending time with my father on Saturday mornings. 27 00:01:36,500 --> 00:01:39,433 I had two younger brothers who were both asthmatics, 28 00:01:39,500 --> 00:01:42,533 so they didn't spend time out on the farm, 29 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:46,033 which made spending time with my dad more special to me. 30 00:01:47,567 --> 00:01:50,166 That was the only one-on-one time that I got 31 00:01:50,266 --> 00:01:51,400 to spend with him. 32 00:01:53,567 --> 00:01:56,934 NARRATOR: Andrew Facey, Brooklin's father, is a wealthy 33 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,667 fourth generation real estate developer in Melbourne. 34 00:02:00,767 --> 00:02:04,967 When I was a kid, I thought my dad was a superhero. 35 00:02:05,066 --> 00:02:07,967 He took over his father's real estate business 36 00:02:08,100 --> 00:02:13,166 when he was 18 years old, and he expanded the business 37 00:02:13,266 --> 00:02:14,934 very significantly. 38 00:02:16,767 --> 00:02:20,533 NARRATOR: Brooklin's mother is a beautiful socialite. 39 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,233 I had a very difficult relationship with my mother. 40 00:02:23,300 --> 00:02:26,367 There was the expectation that I was going to be 41 00:02:26,433 --> 00:02:28,533 as thin and as beautiful 42 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,367 as what she was, and it didn't seem to matter what I did. 43 00:02:32,467 --> 00:02:35,066 It was never good enough for her, 44 00:02:35,166 --> 00:02:38,934 and it's caused a significant amount of trauma in my life. 45 00:02:40,367 --> 00:02:43,734 NARRATOR: Brooklin wants to follow in her father's footsteps one day, 46 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,934 but here, too, she meets with rejection. 47 00:02:47,066 --> 00:02:50,333 My intention was to take over the family business. 48 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:55,066 But my father is somewhat old school in that he likes 49 00:02:55,166 --> 00:02:58,333 to keep the men in the business and the women at home. 50 00:03:01,066 --> 00:03:02,634 NARRATOR: Her dad does agree to support her 51 00:03:02,767 --> 00:03:05,867 financially, and Brooklin sets her sights on college. 52 00:03:07,867 --> 00:03:10,667 But then disaster strikes. 53 00:03:10,767 --> 00:03:12,867 BROOKLIN: When I was 18 years old, 54 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:14,867 I had a head-on collision with a truck. 55 00:03:14,967 --> 00:03:16,834 [crashing noises] 56 00:03:20,467 --> 00:03:23,233 I had a closed head injury. 57 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:29,433 My face and jaw was smashed, and I have since had 54 58 00:03:29,500 --> 00:03:32,066 orthopedic surgeries to rebuild my body. 59 00:03:33,500 --> 00:03:36,266 I spent most of the year either in a wheelchair 60 00:03:36,367 --> 00:03:38,133 or on crutches. 61 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,934 But I managed to get through that year at college. 62 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,266 NARRATOR: Brooklin eventually finishes her degree 63 00:03:43,333 --> 00:03:45,333 but rethinks her future. 64 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,567 I couldn't spend time 65 00:03:47,634 --> 00:03:49,333 standing and on my feet all day, 66 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,066 which is what's required if you're in real estate. 67 00:03:52,166 --> 00:03:56,333 One of the things that interested me was esthetician. 68 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,433 So I did a course in that, and then 69 00:03:59,500 --> 00:04:02,834 I opened my own business in a gym in Melbourne. 70 00:04:06,367 --> 00:04:08,834 I met my first husband at the gym 71 00:04:08,900 --> 00:04:11,166 after one of the surgeries. 72 00:04:11,266 --> 00:04:15,166 After my car accident, I felt like I had been smashed 73 00:04:15,233 --> 00:04:19,367 into pieces, and I felt that nobody was going to want me. 74 00:04:19,467 --> 00:04:21,367 So as soon as somebody did 75 00:04:21,433 --> 00:04:24,767 come along that appeared interested in me, 76 00:04:24,867 --> 00:04:28,634 I feel like I kind of latched on to that. 77 00:04:28,700 --> 00:04:32,867 NARRATOR: The couple marry in 1996 when Brooklin is 27, 78 00:04:32,934 --> 00:04:35,133 and she gives birth to her first son 79 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:36,934 a year later. 80 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,233 BROOKLIN: By the time I was pregnant with my second son, 81 00:04:40,300 --> 00:04:44,834 I was working, and I had a toddler, and my patience with 82 00:04:44,900 --> 00:04:47,834 my husband was really just running low. 83 00:04:47,967 --> 00:04:49,834 I said to him, "You're gonna have 84 00:04:49,967 --> 00:04:51,634 to go, because you're not pulling your weight." 85 00:04:54,500 --> 00:04:56,233 NARRATOR: After five years of marriage, 86 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:59,433 Brooklin takes full custody of her sons with minimal 87 00:04:59,500 --> 00:05:00,934 resistance from her ex. 88 00:05:02,100 --> 00:05:03,934 A year later, she's ready to dip 89 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,734 her toes back into the dating pool. 90 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:08,634 For anyone who's been a single mother, 91 00:05:08,700 --> 00:05:10,533 it's -- it's an exhausting gig. 92 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:15,967 And I hoped that I would find someone who would come 93 00:05:16,066 --> 00:05:19,934 in and be a part of the family and contribute to that. 94 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,266 So I signed up for an Australian dating 95 00:05:22,333 --> 00:05:24,166 online service. 96 00:05:24,266 --> 00:05:28,934 ANEEKA: She met Paul Carter on RSVP, the online dating site. 97 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,934 He came across to her as very available. 98 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,533 He was single, unmarried, without children, 99 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,333 and looking for love. 100 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,834 So the next night I went on my first date with Paul Carter, 101 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,934 and that was a date with destiny, to say the least. 102 00:05:51,700 --> 00:05:54,533 Paul showed up in a bright yellow 103 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:59,867 sports car, and that epitomized Paul's personality. 104 00:05:59,967 --> 00:06:02,934 He was flashy, he was showy. 105 00:06:04,867 --> 00:06:08,834 We went out for dinner, and we laughed and talked 106 00:06:08,900 --> 00:06:10,166 and got on great, 107 00:06:10,266 --> 00:06:13,066 and he was just very easy to talk to, and we just 108 00:06:13,133 --> 00:06:14,066 kind of clicked. 109 00:06:14,166 --> 00:06:17,233 He has a big personality, and he is 110 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:20,333 an amusing person to spend time with. 111 00:06:21,567 --> 00:06:24,367 NARRATOR: Paul is ambitious and has his sights set on a bright 112 00:06:24,467 --> 00:06:26,934 financial future as a real estate developer 113 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,934 and independent business owner. 114 00:06:29,066 --> 00:06:31,867 I needed a man that was going to step up, somebody 115 00:06:31,967 --> 00:06:35,934 that had the sort of alpha male qualities that my dad had. 116 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,734 That's how Paul came across initially. 117 00:06:42,467 --> 00:06:45,467 We got romantically involved pretty quickly 118 00:06:45,567 --> 00:06:48,634 from that point -- I had come from being married to 119 00:06:48,700 --> 00:06:52,266 somebody who was really not physically interested in me 120 00:06:52,367 --> 00:06:54,834 at all, and here was this guy, 121 00:06:54,900 --> 00:06:59,533 he was very sexual and a great lover, 122 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,867 and I appealed to him. 123 00:07:03,967 --> 00:07:05,734 That made me feel great. 124 00:07:07,367 --> 00:07:11,033 NARRATOR: Eventually, Brooklin introduces her sons to Paul. 125 00:07:11,100 --> 00:07:14,033 BROOKLIN: My middle son was about 18 months old, 126 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:19,066 and my eldest son was about four, and he 127 00:07:19,133 --> 00:07:21,834 got along great with them, and he was happy to play with them 128 00:07:21,900 --> 00:07:22,934 and spend time with them. 129 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,533 And so they thought he was great. 130 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:26,900 NARRATOR: For six months, 131 00:07:27,066 --> 00:07:29,867 the four are spending all of their weekend time together. 132 00:07:29,967 --> 00:07:32,033 Eventually, work intervenes, 133 00:07:32,100 --> 00:07:35,333 and Paul says he has to focus on some business matters. 134 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,767 He says that he can't see me this weekend. 135 00:07:39,867 --> 00:07:40,934 Okay. That's fine. 136 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:42,667 No problem. I thought it was because 137 00:07:42,767 --> 00:07:45,166 he was trying to get stuff done. 138 00:07:45,266 --> 00:07:48,634 I ended up going to the South Melbourne Market, 139 00:07:50,567 --> 00:07:52,834 and I'm wandering around the market, and I look up, 140 00:07:52,900 --> 00:07:55,233 and here's Paul walking towards me, 141 00:07:55,367 --> 00:08:00,233 hand-in-hand with a girl that I had no idea who she was, 142 00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:07,867 and he couldn't get her to let go of his hand fast enough. 143 00:08:09,700 --> 00:08:12,333 And I said to him, "What are you doing here?" 144 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,934 And he said, "Oh, I'm just showing so and so 145 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:17,166 "around Melbourne. 146 00:08:17,266 --> 00:08:19,333 She's here visiting from Canada." 147 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:24,533 And I co-- I couldn't even think at that point, 148 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,634 like I couldn't think of anything to say. 149 00:08:26,700 --> 00:08:31,333 I was left standing there like an idiot in shock. 150 00:08:31,467 --> 00:08:33,967 And when I finally got to ask him about it, 151 00:08:34,033 --> 00:08:35,767 his explanation was, "Oh, 152 00:08:35,834 --> 00:08:38,734 I was holding her hand because she was scared." 153 00:08:39,867 --> 00:08:41,133 She was scared. 154 00:08:44,867 --> 00:08:48,333 He claims that she just showed up unannounced. 155 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:52,467 Nobody flies from Canada to Australia on a whim. 156 00:08:52,567 --> 00:08:56,467 I'm not somebody that strings people out or plays games. 157 00:08:56,567 --> 00:09:00,233 So I wasn't, at that time, familiar with 158 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:02,734 being played the way that he was playing me. 159 00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:07,333 I started to get suspicious. 160 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:12,533 I couldn't understand why I was never invited to his place. 161 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,266 So one day, when he was in the shower, 162 00:09:16,367 --> 00:09:18,433 I pulled his driver's license from his wallet 163 00:09:18,500 --> 00:09:19,934 and got his address. 164 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,266 His name on his driver's license was Paul Carter. 165 00:09:25,367 --> 00:09:28,934 But the address didn't really fit with the narrative 166 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,767 that he was putting up about 167 00:09:30,867 --> 00:09:34,166 being this super successful guy and having all these 168 00:09:34,266 --> 00:09:36,734 designer brands and this flashy car. 169 00:09:37,900 --> 00:09:39,166 And I thought, okay, well, I'll -- 170 00:09:39,266 --> 00:09:43,133 I'll go pay a visit and see what's going on at this house. 171 00:09:45,166 --> 00:09:46,433 I pull up to the house, 172 00:09:47,667 --> 00:09:49,066 and I knocked on the door, 173 00:09:49,133 --> 00:09:50,333 [knocking noises] 174 00:09:50,467 --> 00:09:55,133 and this older man, Paul's dad, answered the door, and I said, 175 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:56,734 "Is Paul Carter here?" 176 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:59,634 And he said, "Do you mean Paul Cristalo?" 177 00:10:03,100 --> 00:10:08,066 And I said, "No, Paul Carter. This is his address." 178 00:10:08,133 --> 00:10:11,734 He said, "Well, Paul Cristalo lives here with his wife, 179 00:10:11,867 --> 00:10:16,433 Sonia, and he has three kids from his previous marriage." 180 00:10:18,266 --> 00:10:19,667 I couldn't believe what I was hearing. 181 00:10:19,767 --> 00:10:20,967 It was surreal. 182 00:10:21,066 --> 00:10:25,433 I have two little boys who are becoming quite attached to him, 183 00:10:26,467 --> 00:10:29,533 and there was a sideboard just inside the door, and it had all 184 00:10:29,667 --> 00:10:32,133 these photos from their wedding with pictures of the kids, 185 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:33,433 pictures of his wife, 186 00:10:33,500 --> 00:10:35,233 and... 187 00:10:36,667 --> 00:10:40,567 I felt like the ground was going to open up and swallow me. 188 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:46,934 NARRATOR: Brooklin Facey is reeling from the news 189 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,166 that her new boyfriend, 190 00:10:48,233 --> 00:10:51,066 Paul Carter, is not the successful single man 191 00:10:51,133 --> 00:10:52,367 he claims to be. 192 00:10:52,467 --> 00:10:54,834 In fact, he's married with kids. 193 00:10:54,900 --> 00:10:57,433 This was his second marriage that he was in 194 00:10:57,500 --> 00:11:01,467 at that point -- the first marriage, he had three kids. 195 00:11:04,266 --> 00:11:06,934 And he has a different last name. 196 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:08,433 At this point, I'm starting to wonder 197 00:11:08,500 --> 00:11:10,734 if anything about him is real. 198 00:11:14,567 --> 00:11:16,533 NARRATOR: Brooklin decides to confront Paul, 199 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:18,667 who simply shrugs it off. 200 00:11:19,867 --> 00:11:23,433 He says, "Yes, I'm married, but we're separated, 201 00:11:23,567 --> 00:11:25,467 and we're just living in the house together." 202 00:11:25,567 --> 00:11:27,533 It didn't sound unrealistic. 203 00:11:30,867 --> 00:11:34,233 I thought, "This guy's got a lot of potential." 204 00:11:34,300 --> 00:11:36,934 He was an exciting person. 205 00:11:37,066 --> 00:11:40,333 He's not boring like my last husband was. 206 00:11:41,467 --> 00:11:44,066 In hindsight, I should have just stuck with boring. 207 00:11:47,767 --> 00:11:49,834 NARRATOR: After the painful confrontation, 208 00:11:49,900 --> 00:11:53,667 Paul divorces his second wife and moves into an apartment, 209 00:11:53,734 --> 00:11:54,800 and soon, the deception 210 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:58,333 is in the rearview as he plays dad to a blended family 211 00:11:58,400 --> 00:11:59,867 with Brooklin. 212 00:11:59,967 --> 00:12:01,767 BROOKLIN: He had three young children. 213 00:12:01,867 --> 00:12:04,166 I had two young children -- their ages 214 00:12:04,266 --> 00:12:06,867 sort of meshed together -- every other weekend, 215 00:12:06,967 --> 00:12:08,834 we had all five of them. 216 00:12:08,900 --> 00:12:10,834 I loved having the kids there. 217 00:12:10,900 --> 00:12:12,367 It was a lot of work for sure. 218 00:12:12,467 --> 00:12:16,734 But my boys were happy to have playmates, thought Paul was 219 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:17,834 pretty good with helping 220 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,734 with things around the house, and he was involved in 221 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:23,066 everything that they were doing. 222 00:12:23,166 --> 00:12:26,467 So we had a pretty good team situation going on. 223 00:12:26,567 --> 00:12:28,066 It meant a great deal to me, 224 00:12:28,166 --> 00:12:30,133 because I was looking for a partner. 225 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:35,934 NARRATOR: In March 2003, 226 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:38,066 8 months after first meeting Paul, 227 00:12:38,166 --> 00:12:41,333 he surprises Brooklin with a grand gesture. 228 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,367 BROOKLIN: Paul proposed to me at the beach. 229 00:12:45,500 --> 00:12:48,967 He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. 230 00:12:49,033 --> 00:12:50,166 I was thrilled. 231 00:12:50,233 --> 00:12:51,734 I was so excited. 232 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,834 He convinced me that the life that we were 233 00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:57,166 gonna have together was going to be wonderful. 234 00:12:59,667 --> 00:13:02,934 I didn't really get a sense that my parents didn't like him 235 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,066 until I said to them 236 00:13:05,133 --> 00:13:09,233 that we were getting married, and they were not in 237 00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:10,834 favor of the idea. 238 00:13:12,266 --> 00:13:13,867 Right from the get-go, 239 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,433 my father thought Paul was sketchy, 240 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:19,033 and he couldn't put his finger on it. 241 00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:21,934 But, you know, I was an adult. 242 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,033 I was in my thirties by that stage, and I 243 00:13:25,100 --> 00:13:27,467 was going to do what I was going to do. 244 00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:35,834 So we got married on St. Kilda Beach in Melbourne. 245 00:13:37,166 --> 00:13:38,734 My father came to the wedding. 246 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,533 My mother did not come to the wedding. 247 00:13:42,166 --> 00:13:45,834 We had all the kids there all dressed up in 248 00:13:45,900 --> 00:13:50,333 black pants and white shirts, and it was so beautiful, 249 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,433 and everything seemed so perfect that day. 250 00:13:54,567 --> 00:13:56,934 I finally felt like I had the family 251 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,934 that I had not had for my whole life, 252 00:14:01,967 --> 00:14:05,867 and I was the mother in the family, and I was 253 00:14:05,967 --> 00:14:08,634 never going to let my kids 254 00:14:08,700 --> 00:14:11,867 feel lonely or sad or unloved. 255 00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:15,066 Just thought that was the beginning 256 00:14:15,133 --> 00:14:16,834 of the happily ever after. 257 00:14:23,166 --> 00:14:24,634 So after we got married, 258 00:14:24,700 --> 00:14:27,834 the first couple of years were kind of rough. 259 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:31,834 I was dealing with chronic pain from my car accident, 260 00:14:31,900 --> 00:14:33,634 but I felt like Paul had my back. 261 00:14:33,700 --> 00:14:36,634 I felt like he was there for me. 262 00:14:36,700 --> 00:14:40,533 For the most part, he seemed to be on my team. 263 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,934 NARRATOR: The couple doesn't have to worry about money. 264 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,834 Brooklin may be cut out of running the family business, 265 00:14:45,900 --> 00:14:48,233 but her dad is still supportive. 266 00:14:48,300 --> 00:14:50,934 They move into a bigger house, and when she starts 267 00:14:51,066 --> 00:14:54,033 feeling healthier, they take another big step. 268 00:14:54,100 --> 00:14:56,967 [baby cooing] 269 00:14:57,066 --> 00:15:00,433 BROOKLIN: We decided to have a child together, 270 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,967 and we had Mac, 271 00:15:05,100 --> 00:15:09,734 who is the love of my life, and he is... 272 00:15:10,900 --> 00:15:12,967 my heart and soul. 273 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:19,667 NARRATOR: After Mac's birth, Brooklin and Paul buy 274 00:15:19,767 --> 00:15:23,033 an outdoor equipment company to run as a family business. 275 00:15:25,567 --> 00:15:29,333 I was hoping that it would be something that we could work 276 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,066 together in, and then there would be, like, 277 00:15:32,133 --> 00:15:34,233 a legacy for our kids. 278 00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:38,233 I was working there part-time, and I was doing the books, 279 00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:39,767 and Paul was selling 280 00:15:39,867 --> 00:15:43,467 the items, and he was very creative with his marketing, 281 00:15:43,567 --> 00:15:46,367 and he would start selling things on eBay. 282 00:15:47,467 --> 00:15:50,934 My dad injected a very significant amount of money so 283 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,367 we could try and, you know, make a go of it. 284 00:15:53,467 --> 00:15:58,233 He was trying to protect me financially, and he wanted to 285 00:15:58,300 --> 00:16:01,533 help Paul create something that was going to be good 286 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:03,266 for us. 287 00:16:03,367 --> 00:16:05,467 NARRATOR: But after 18 months, they don't have 288 00:16:05,567 --> 00:16:08,533 enough cash flow to replenish their stock. 289 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,934 BROOKLIN: Paul was spending more money than he was bringing in. 290 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:14,734 It wasn't until he was working for something that I was 291 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,967 involved in that I got a glimpse of his poor 292 00:16:18,066 --> 00:16:19,433 business practices, 293 00:16:20,867 --> 00:16:23,934 and my dad basically bailed us out of it. 294 00:16:25,567 --> 00:16:28,133 So once we lost the company, 295 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,834 my dad then had that over me, 296 00:16:31,967 --> 00:16:36,834 and I was going to hear about that forever and a day, 297 00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:39,934 that he had saved me and that otherwise, 298 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,767 we would have been bankrupt. 299 00:16:43,066 --> 00:16:46,433 Paul really did a good job of putting a wedge between us. 300 00:16:53,667 --> 00:16:55,867 ANEEKA: In 2010, Paul was appointed the CEO 301 00:16:55,934 --> 00:16:58,033 of United Housing Victoria, 302 00:16:59,300 --> 00:17:02,233 which is a publicly funded community housing company, 303 00:17:02,300 --> 00:17:05,567 and there, he ran big sort of multimillion dollar 304 00:17:05,634 --> 00:17:07,033 construction jobs. 305 00:17:07,100 --> 00:17:08,867 NARRATOR: The organization provides housing 306 00:17:08,967 --> 00:17:10,934 for low-income families. 307 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,967 He manages to pull this great job with United Housing, 308 00:17:15,100 --> 00:17:19,333 a very secure job paying very well, and I'm thinking great, 309 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:21,233 everything's back on track now. 310 00:17:24,300 --> 00:17:27,834 I had no idea that he was doing anything wrong 311 00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:29,066 at the time. 312 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,133 ANEEKA: He was let go after two years, 313 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,533 because they saw they were just hemorrhaging money. 314 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,867 The suspicion was that Paul was blowing out 315 00:17:37,967 --> 00:17:39,000 the contracts of -- 316 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,433 of these construction jobs and pocketing that money. 317 00:17:43,767 --> 00:17:46,033 NARRATOR: Brooklin and Paul have huge mortgage payments 318 00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:47,634 for the house they own together, 319 00:17:47,700 --> 00:17:50,166 and their debts are mounting because of Paul's 320 00:17:50,233 --> 00:17:52,033 excessive spending. 321 00:17:52,100 --> 00:17:55,567 I was panic stricken, and Paul's way of placating me was 322 00:17:55,634 --> 00:17:58,834 to say, "I'll just pick up extra jobs on the side." 323 00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:01,433 We were in a bad place in our marriage. 324 00:18:02,567 --> 00:18:04,634 We ended up having to sell the house. 325 00:18:08,100 --> 00:18:09,934 My dad was furious. 326 00:18:11,567 --> 00:18:15,333 He was telling me that Paul doesn't know what he's doing. 327 00:18:16,266 --> 00:18:19,734 I was humiliated, totally humiliated. 328 00:18:21,166 --> 00:18:24,033 The fact that Paul was so irresponsible with money was 329 00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:27,333 another reason that my dad felt that he was not 330 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:30,667 a good influence on the boys and that they would be 331 00:18:30,734 --> 00:18:33,133 better off with their biological father. 332 00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:39,333 He was putting pressure on my ex-husband. 333 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,734 My father said to him, 334 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:43,467 "I will pay for your lawyers, 335 00:18:43,567 --> 00:18:46,467 and I will put the kids through school." 336 00:18:48,367 --> 00:18:52,634 They took me to court, and they filed for custody of my sons. 337 00:18:54,166 --> 00:18:58,166 NARRATOR: The custody battle continues for three years. 338 00:18:58,233 --> 00:19:01,734 I had run out of money for lawyers. 339 00:19:01,867 --> 00:19:06,066 I had no chance of winning, no chance. 340 00:19:06,166 --> 00:19:09,967 NARRATOR: Finally, in 2013, Brooklin loses custody 341 00:19:10,066 --> 00:19:13,734 of her two oldest sons, who are now 12 and 15. 342 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:16,367 Perhaps influenced by their grandfather, 343 00:19:16,467 --> 00:19:18,634 they choose to side with their father. 344 00:19:19,667 --> 00:19:23,734 BROOKLIN: So my ex-husband, he allowed my father to do this, 345 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:27,567 and he really hasn't worked a day since then. 346 00:19:27,667 --> 00:19:32,634 There's only one thing that I really take pride in, 347 00:19:32,700 --> 00:19:36,066 and that is that I think I'm a good mom, 348 00:19:36,166 --> 00:19:39,867 and for me to lose my kids like that was just 349 00:19:39,934 --> 00:19:42,066 so devastating. 350 00:19:42,133 --> 00:19:46,333 If it wasn't for Mac, it would have been the end of me. 351 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:47,734 NARRATOR: But for Brooklin, 352 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,233 these losses are just the beginning. 353 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,533 NARRATOR: Brooklin Carter is staggering from 354 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,233 the heartbreaking loss of her custody battle. 355 00:20:01,300 --> 00:20:03,634 BROOKLIN: My family, I have no connection with, 356 00:20:03,767 --> 00:20:05,834 because they've all taken my dad's side. 357 00:20:05,900 --> 00:20:07,333 I've lost two of my sons. 358 00:20:07,467 --> 00:20:13,233 So all I have left is my youngest son and my husband. 359 00:20:13,300 --> 00:20:16,033 It would have been easier for me if I had died that day. 360 00:20:17,300 --> 00:20:20,967 Everything that I had tried to keep safe and everything that 361 00:20:21,066 --> 00:20:24,634 mattered to me had just been handed over to someone else. 362 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:28,967 And I just hope that when my boys are older, 363 00:20:29,066 --> 00:20:32,734 they realize that I never, ever stopped loving them. 364 00:20:36,266 --> 00:20:37,266 For a long time, 365 00:20:37,467 --> 00:20:40,033 I was so focused on the court battle with my kids 366 00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:44,266 that I was not paying attention to my husband. 367 00:20:44,367 --> 00:20:48,533 He felt that he was missing out on time 368 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,934 and energy that I should have been putting into him. 369 00:20:52,467 --> 00:20:56,767 He was going to motocross meetings 370 00:20:56,867 --> 00:20:59,567 and joining motocross clubs. 371 00:20:59,667 --> 00:21:05,066 He was buying cars and changing cars frequently. 372 00:21:06,667 --> 00:21:09,634 ANEEKA: Paul would use Brooklin to subsidize his lifestyle, 373 00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:13,433 things like fast cars, properties, credit cards. 374 00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:15,967 There was constant stress in the house. 375 00:21:16,066 --> 00:21:18,166 Bills needed to be paid. 376 00:21:18,266 --> 00:21:20,433 NARRATOR: Brooklin has managed to protect a portion 377 00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:22,767 of her nest egg from Paul's spending, 378 00:21:22,867 --> 00:21:24,934 but she's concerned he might eventually 379 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,834 drain all of her money. 380 00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:28,033 BROOKLIN: I really didn't have a lot of 381 00:21:28,100 --> 00:21:31,233 options other than to take back control myself. 382 00:21:31,300 --> 00:21:35,066 And my version of that was to take my money and put it 383 00:21:35,133 --> 00:21:36,934 somewhere else where Paul couldn't touch it, 384 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,433 and I knew it would be safe. 385 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,433 So we got an E-2 Treaty visa, 386 00:21:42,567 --> 00:21:46,233 which is granted to Australians who invest into 387 00:21:46,300 --> 00:21:49,634 a business in the United States. 388 00:21:49,700 --> 00:21:53,934 We had been to Boston to visit, and I loved it there. 389 00:21:55,567 --> 00:21:58,634 So I bought a couple of houses and rented them out. 390 00:21:59,967 --> 00:22:03,467 NARRATOR: Coincidentally, just as Brooklin ties up her finances 391 00:22:03,567 --> 00:22:06,934 with offshore real estate and her money is out of his reach, 392 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,166 Paul comes into a windfall. 393 00:22:09,266 --> 00:22:12,834 On my son Mac's fifth birthday, 394 00:22:12,900 --> 00:22:16,734 we were having a party at our house for him, and Paul 395 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,433 announced to me that he had inherited a large plot 396 00:22:20,500 --> 00:22:23,467 of land from his grandmother, and the government were trying 397 00:22:23,567 --> 00:22:26,867 to buy that land because they wanted to put a highway through. 398 00:22:27,867 --> 00:22:30,166 NARRATOR: Paul explains that this land is in Italy, 399 00:22:30,266 --> 00:22:34,066 and the sale is slightly delayed by red tape. 400 00:22:34,133 --> 00:22:37,533 BROOKLIN: He showed me some documentation, 401 00:22:37,667 --> 00:22:42,166 and it all looked very bona fide to me, 402 00:22:42,233 --> 00:22:46,333 which was incredibly exciting, because he was telling me 403 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:49,834 that it was worth tens of millions of dollars. 404 00:22:49,900 --> 00:22:51,667 And that's one of the things about Paul. 405 00:22:51,767 --> 00:22:54,667 He always bounces back, often bigger and better 406 00:22:54,767 --> 00:22:56,166 than he was before. 407 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,166 NARRATOR: Brooklin feels hope for the first time since losing 408 00:23:04,233 --> 00:23:06,266 custody of her oldest sons, 409 00:23:06,333 --> 00:23:08,834 but she's worried how their absence is affecting Mac, 410 00:23:08,900 --> 00:23:10,467 her youngest. 411 00:23:10,567 --> 00:23:14,834 It was very difficult for my youngest son to come home 412 00:23:14,900 --> 00:23:17,066 every night and not have his brothers there 413 00:23:17,166 --> 00:23:19,967 and go to the same school and not see his brothers. 414 00:23:20,033 --> 00:23:23,967 Brooklin suggests to Paul that they move to Boston. 415 00:23:24,066 --> 00:23:26,433 BROOKLIN: By this stage, he was working for himself as 416 00:23:26,567 --> 00:23:29,967 a builder, and he had various projects underway. 417 00:23:30,066 --> 00:23:31,433 He said, "Okay, great. 418 00:23:31,500 --> 00:23:33,634 "We'll buy houses, renovate them, 419 00:23:33,700 --> 00:23:36,233 and flip them, and start a new life." 420 00:23:37,266 --> 00:23:42,333 NARRATOR: Brooklin and Mac head to Boston in April of 2014. 421 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,533 BROOKLIN: I was still devastated about my sons, 422 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,634 but it was easier to try and move forward when I wasn't 423 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:50,333 faced with the same things 424 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,433 every day that reminded me of them. 425 00:23:53,867 --> 00:23:57,233 So Mac and I are in Boston -- he was happy, 426 00:23:57,300 --> 00:24:01,333 I was happy, and we were expecting that Paul would join 427 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,934 us within two, maybe three months. 428 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,667 [numbers dialing] 429 00:24:05,767 --> 00:24:07,367 [phone ringing] 430 00:24:07,467 --> 00:24:11,233 Then suddenly, the communication starts to 431 00:24:11,300 --> 00:24:14,533 dwindle, and he's not calling every day. 432 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,533 He didn't contact me for my birthday. 433 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,367 It didn't take long for me to 434 00:24:19,467 --> 00:24:22,767 question him about what was going on. 435 00:24:22,867 --> 00:24:26,433 So he says to me, "I would finish these jobs 436 00:24:26,500 --> 00:24:29,834 "a lot quicker if you can fund them. 437 00:24:29,900 --> 00:24:32,066 "And then once I finish them, 438 00:24:32,133 --> 00:24:34,934 I'll get the final payment, and then I'll repay you." 439 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,233 NARRATOR: Brooklin knows that lending money to Paul is a risk. 440 00:24:38,300 --> 00:24:40,133 But after 11 years of marriage, 441 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,233 she doesn't want to give upon them. 442 00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:45,367 I don't like quitters, and I 443 00:24:45,467 --> 00:24:48,266 don't like to quit on things myself. 444 00:24:48,367 --> 00:24:51,734 I'm gonna stick with something until the very end. 445 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:55,166 So I went ahead and gave him the money. 446 00:24:57,367 --> 00:24:59,166 NARRATOR: It won't be long before Brooklin 447 00:24:59,266 --> 00:25:02,533 discovers the real purpose of the money. 448 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,233 It was the middle of the night, 449 00:25:05,300 --> 00:25:08,634 and I was woken up by Mac, who was then 450 00:25:08,767 --> 00:25:11,934 eight years old, who had his iPad in his hand. 451 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:13,867 [door creaking] 452 00:25:13,934 --> 00:25:17,367 So he hands me his iPad and says, 453 00:25:17,467 --> 00:25:21,567 "Who is this lady in the picture with dad?" 454 00:25:21,634 --> 00:25:24,834 Somebody had sent him a Facebook notification. 455 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,667 Hang on. Is this an old picture of Paul? 456 00:25:29,767 --> 00:25:34,333 This is my husband, but I've got no idea who this woman is. 457 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:38,734 Paul's wearing a black tie suit, and this blonde 458 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,734 woman is wearing what looks like a ball gown. 459 00:25:42,867 --> 00:25:46,967 I had no idea when the photo was taken, who this woman was, 460 00:25:47,066 --> 00:25:51,266 what Paul was doing there, or what the event was. 461 00:25:51,367 --> 00:25:53,166 I felt sick. 462 00:25:53,266 --> 00:25:56,667 I felt like my whole life was spinning out of control. 463 00:26:02,266 --> 00:26:04,567 NARRATOR: Brooklin Carter is mortified to discover 464 00:26:04,634 --> 00:26:07,567 pictures of her husband in the very close company 465 00:26:07,667 --> 00:26:09,333 of another woman. 466 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:11,634 I'm realizing that this is not an old 467 00:26:11,700 --> 00:26:14,834 photo from some time before my time with Paul. 468 00:26:14,967 --> 00:26:16,533 This is something that's going on 469 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,033 now that shouldn't be going on. 470 00:26:18,100 --> 00:26:20,834 NARRATOR: It doesn't take long to figure out that the event is 471 00:26:20,967 --> 00:26:23,934 an engagement party, and the lady in red is Paul's 472 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:25,533 new fiancee. 473 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,233 ANEEKA: Katherine de Bois was a Melbourne woman. 474 00:26:27,300 --> 00:26:29,166 She was a bit of a socialite, 475 00:26:29,266 --> 00:26:31,233 had great friends, but love was missing. 476 00:26:31,300 --> 00:26:33,433 And so she went online to find that. 477 00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:35,533 Katherine met Paul on Tinder. 478 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,634 Paul rocked up to that date driving a Maserati 479 00:26:37,700 --> 00:26:39,533 and claimed he owned a big fleet of them. 480 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,867 He claimed to be a self-made millionaire with 481 00:26:41,934 --> 00:26:45,233 this big property empire across Melbourne and Queensland. 482 00:26:46,767 --> 00:26:49,834 NARRATOR: The courtship begins after Brooklin leaves for Boston. 483 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:52,367 ANEEKA: Katherine said it was something of 484 00:26:52,467 --> 00:26:53,667 a whirlwind romance. 485 00:26:53,734 --> 00:26:54,967 He was extremely kind. 486 00:26:55,066 --> 00:26:56,433 He paid a lot of attention to her 487 00:26:56,567 --> 00:26:59,867 and came across as extremely committed. 488 00:26:59,967 --> 00:27:04,066 She decided to move in with him and, to her shock, he lived 489 00:27:04,133 --> 00:27:05,934 in this basic townhouse in Box Hill, 490 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:07,834 which is certainly not where you'd think 491 00:27:07,900 --> 00:27:09,734 a multimillionaire lives. 492 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,233 Paul had an explanation, and that was that this was 493 00:27:12,300 --> 00:27:13,433 a temporary place that 494 00:27:13,567 --> 00:27:17,066 he was living while he and his ex-partner had been building 495 00:27:17,133 --> 00:27:18,767 this dream home. 496 00:27:18,867 --> 00:27:20,667 He actually told her his ex-wife 497 00:27:20,767 --> 00:27:23,066 had passed away with brain cancer. 498 00:27:23,133 --> 00:27:25,233 So she stopped asking questions. 499 00:27:26,300 --> 00:27:28,667 It was about 12 weeks into their love story. 500 00:27:28,767 --> 00:27:31,333 Paul got down on one knee and asked Katherine to 501 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,066 marry him, and it was an easy yes for her. 502 00:27:35,166 --> 00:27:37,734 Katherine owned a beauty bar just outside of Melbourne, 503 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:39,233 and it was to be acquired by the government 504 00:27:39,300 --> 00:27:41,533 to make way for a major road project. 505 00:27:41,667 --> 00:27:44,233 Katherine said that Paul really convinced her 506 00:27:44,367 --> 00:27:46,734 that he was something of an acquisitions expert. 507 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,066 And so she was quick to transfer him power of attorney. 508 00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:55,266 NARRATOR: With Brooklin conveniently tucked away in Boston, 509 00:27:55,333 --> 00:27:58,266 Paul Carter feels confident that he's safe to openly 510 00:27:58,333 --> 00:28:00,166 celebrate his new love, 511 00:28:00,233 --> 00:28:03,066 but he fails to consider the massive reach 512 00:28:03,133 --> 00:28:04,333 of social media. 513 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:11,734 After several months of me questioning whether he was 514 00:28:11,867 --> 00:28:15,333 having an affair or as he was becoming more and more distant, 515 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,367 I finally had the proof. 516 00:28:17,467 --> 00:28:21,467 So I called him, and I said to him, 517 00:28:21,567 --> 00:28:23,533 "What the hell is this? What is going on?" 518 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,634 He said that he would come over to Boston. 519 00:28:26,700 --> 00:28:30,467 And in the meantime, we were doing counseling over the phone 520 00:28:30,567 --> 00:28:34,934 and trying to figure out if this was at all salvageable. 521 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,533 [phone buzzing] 522 00:28:42,700 --> 00:28:43,667 NARRATOR: In Australia, 523 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:47,767 Katherine de Bois receives a very similar shock. 524 00:28:47,867 --> 00:28:49,834 After Katherine and Paul's engagement party, 525 00:28:49,900 --> 00:28:52,066 she receives a call from somebody who knows Paul, 526 00:28:52,133 --> 00:28:55,433 and they tell her, "He has a wife and child in the U.S. 527 00:28:55,500 --> 00:28:56,834 You need to end this." 528 00:28:56,900 --> 00:28:59,266 Katherine now believes that he was trying to take 529 00:28:59,367 --> 00:29:01,166 over the beauty salon that she'd transferred into 530 00:29:01,233 --> 00:29:02,367 his name. 531 00:29:02,367 --> 00:29:04,934 NARRATOR: Paul and Katherine break off their relationship. 532 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,634 And in November 2014, Paul heads off to Boston 533 00:29:08,700 --> 00:29:11,734 and attempts to patch up his relationship with Brooklin. 534 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:13,634 BROOKLIN: He was able to convince me that 535 00:29:13,700 --> 00:29:17,166 he was remorseful for what he had done. 536 00:29:17,266 --> 00:29:19,433 I'd already been through a divorce and lost my kids. 537 00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:20,734 I wasn't gonna risk doing that 538 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,834 again and losing my youngest son. 539 00:29:23,900 --> 00:29:27,834 So I was gonna do whatever I had to do to make it work. 540 00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:31,133 I still felt like I could pull out the defibrillator 541 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:32,367 once again 542 00:29:32,500 --> 00:29:36,467 and restart the heart and try and get things back on track. 543 00:29:37,700 --> 00:29:39,533 NARRATOR: On a romantic trip to New York City 544 00:29:39,667 --> 00:29:41,667 for Brooklin's 46th birthday, 545 00:29:41,767 --> 00:29:45,333 Paul tells her he wants to renew his commitment to her. 546 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:49,133 We had a lovely weekend in New York City, and he had organized 547 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:50,433 with a jeweler 548 00:29:50,500 --> 00:29:53,367 to look at some diamonds, 'cause he was going to get a ring made 549 00:29:53,467 --> 00:29:54,467 for me. 550 00:29:54,533 --> 00:29:56,734 NARRATOR: But within weeks, it becomes clear 551 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,834 she'll never get that diamond ring. 552 00:29:58,900 --> 00:30:02,066 The money hasn't been transferred to the jeweler. 553 00:30:02,166 --> 00:30:04,634 No money has come into our accounts. 554 00:30:04,700 --> 00:30:09,433 I had faced about as much humiliation as I could take 555 00:30:09,500 --> 00:30:11,066 at this point. 556 00:30:11,133 --> 00:30:13,867 I was really losing faith in Paul. 557 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,734 But I wanted to be able to say to 558 00:30:15,867 --> 00:30:17,567 my kids that I gave it my best shot. 559 00:30:17,667 --> 00:30:19,867 I didn't just quit because it got too hard. 560 00:30:20,967 --> 00:30:23,667 I just wasn't prepared to lose all that money 561 00:30:23,767 --> 00:30:24,900 and then find out 562 00:30:24,900 --> 00:30:28,033 a couple of weeks later that he inherited tens of millions 563 00:30:28,100 --> 00:30:30,233 of dollars from his grandmother. 564 00:30:32,166 --> 00:30:36,166 NARRATOR: Paul has one more gambit to keep Brooklin happy. 565 00:30:36,266 --> 00:30:40,166 Early 2018, we took over a lease on 566 00:30:40,233 --> 00:30:43,033 a horse farm that we were to purchase. 567 00:30:43,100 --> 00:30:46,066 We had scheduled the closing to coincide with plenty 568 00:30:46,133 --> 00:30:49,266 of time for the money to come from overseas. 569 00:30:49,367 --> 00:30:52,066 ANEEKA: Paul spent many years convincing Brooklin that he was 570 00:30:52,166 --> 00:30:55,066 to inherit, and every time this deal was due to close, 571 00:30:55,166 --> 00:30:57,834 there was always an excuse as to why it wasn't happening. 572 00:30:57,900 --> 00:31:01,467 He would go to extreme lengths to keep up the con. 573 00:31:01,567 --> 00:31:03,467 Fake contracts written in Italian 574 00:31:03,533 --> 00:31:05,066 would be delivered to her door. 575 00:31:05,166 --> 00:31:07,066 And another time that she'd receive calls 576 00:31:07,133 --> 00:31:08,166 from a fake number, 577 00:31:08,266 --> 00:31:10,734 explaining to her why this was being delayed. 578 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,166 NARRATOR: With the final payment on the farm looming, 579 00:31:15,266 --> 00:31:18,667 Brooklin puts pressure on Paul for some financial relief, 580 00:31:18,767 --> 00:31:21,433 and this turns into his breaking point. 581 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:25,934 BROOKLIN: Paul came home and said, 582 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:28,367 "There's no inheritance. 583 00:31:28,467 --> 00:31:31,233 There isn't any money coming. There's no money." 584 00:31:32,367 --> 00:31:35,333 I slid down the fridge 585 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,467 and onto the floor like a cartoon character. 586 00:31:39,567 --> 00:31:41,066 The whole game was up. 587 00:31:44,166 --> 00:31:46,667 NARRATOR: Furious and deeply betrayed, 588 00:31:46,734 --> 00:31:48,934 Brooklin kicks Paul out. 589 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:53,233 I was now left with this farm that I had to pay for. 590 00:31:53,300 --> 00:31:57,166 I enlisted the support of my dad to help figure out 591 00:31:57,233 --> 00:31:58,333 the financial part of it 592 00:31:58,467 --> 00:32:02,166 until I was able to sell my house and repay him. 593 00:32:02,266 --> 00:32:04,433 Fortunately, for me, my father made me sign 594 00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:05,934 a prenup with Paul. 595 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:10,233 So I didn't end up having to split our assets. 596 00:32:11,367 --> 00:32:14,033 Finally, I had control of my life 597 00:32:14,100 --> 00:32:16,867 back again from Paul Carter. 598 00:32:20,700 --> 00:32:22,934 Or so I thought. 599 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,233 NARRATOR: Paul, cut off from his slush fund, 600 00:32:25,300 --> 00:32:27,433 is angry and desperate. 601 00:32:27,567 --> 00:32:29,634 BROOKLIN: Paul shows up to the farm. 602 00:32:29,700 --> 00:32:31,634 He was really angry, 603 00:32:31,767 --> 00:32:35,033 and he says to me, "I'm going to kill myself, 604 00:32:35,100 --> 00:32:37,734 but I'm going to make sure I take you down with me." 605 00:32:39,100 --> 00:32:43,667 And I just felt chills go down my spine. 606 00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:51,266 NARRATOR: Brooklin Carter is finally coming clean 607 00:32:51,367 --> 00:32:53,333 with herself about who her husband 608 00:32:53,467 --> 00:32:56,934 really is, and she's terrified. 609 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,033 BROOKLIN: He was not in control of money, 610 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:02,834 property, our child, nothing. 611 00:33:02,900 --> 00:33:04,467 The gravy train had well 612 00:33:04,533 --> 00:33:08,266 and truly stopped, and it just enraged him. 613 00:33:09,867 --> 00:33:11,734 I went out and bought myself a rifle. 614 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:16,066 My son was sleeping with a baseball bat next to his bed. 615 00:33:16,166 --> 00:33:19,433 I was terrified of what might happen. 616 00:33:22,367 --> 00:33:24,834 NARRATOR: Brooklin gets a restraining order, 617 00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:27,867 and then finally, after 16 years of marriage, 618 00:33:27,967 --> 00:33:29,734 she files for divorce. 619 00:33:29,867 --> 00:33:31,333 I couldn't lose any more money. 620 00:33:31,467 --> 00:33:33,033 I couldn't lose any more sleep. 621 00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:35,333 I couldn't be any more miserable. 622 00:33:35,467 --> 00:33:39,433 I thought, if I don't do something now, I'm not even 623 00:33:39,500 --> 00:33:42,767 going to have the energy to get out of this marriage. 624 00:33:43,767 --> 00:33:47,133 NARRATOR: In August 2019, the divorce becomes final, 625 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,867 and Brooklin gets full custody of Mac. 626 00:33:49,967 --> 00:33:53,266 BROOKLIN: I couldn't hold back my emotion, 627 00:33:54,467 --> 00:33:57,433 and I burst into tears, and my head 628 00:33:57,500 --> 00:34:00,567 fell onto the desk in the courtroom. 629 00:34:04,667 --> 00:34:07,233 NARRATOR: But there is just one problem. 630 00:34:07,300 --> 00:34:09,333 I became increasingly concerned about being 631 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,233 on the same visa as Paul Carter. 632 00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:16,133 I decided I needed to get Mac and I a new visa. 633 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:21,266 My very close friend suggested that we get married because 634 00:34:21,367 --> 00:34:25,834 we both had no intentions of ever remarrying in our lives. 635 00:34:25,900 --> 00:34:28,266 NARRATOR: Brooklin and her female friend hold 636 00:34:28,367 --> 00:34:32,266 a garden wedding in Albany in September 2019. 637 00:34:32,367 --> 00:34:33,567 BROOKLIN: She was gonna come and live at 638 00:34:33,667 --> 00:34:37,433 the house that I had built at my farm, 639 00:34:37,500 --> 00:34:40,066 and we were just gonna grow old together 640 00:34:40,166 --> 00:34:43,867 and help each other out and be companions for each other. 641 00:34:46,867 --> 00:34:48,834 NARRATOR: Before the couple can even move in together, 642 00:34:48,967 --> 00:34:52,734 Brooklin's life takes an unforeseen turn. 643 00:34:52,867 --> 00:34:55,967 I get a call from "60 Minutes Australia." 644 00:34:56,066 --> 00:34:59,033 REPORTER: He may look like an ordinary bloke, 645 00:34:59,100 --> 00:35:02,734 but this is one of Australia's most cunning con men, 646 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:06,834 a ruthless operator who's fleeced millions from family, 647 00:35:06,900 --> 00:35:09,433 friends, the rich, and the poor. 648 00:35:10,867 --> 00:35:15,834 60 Minutes seemed to have even more information about things 649 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:18,667 that he had done that I had no clue about. 650 00:35:18,767 --> 00:35:20,967 We gave him the moniker the Casanova Con Man, 651 00:35:21,066 --> 00:35:22,667 because his biggest cons were of women 652 00:35:22,767 --> 00:35:24,634 he made believe that he loved them. 653 00:35:24,700 --> 00:35:25,800 Paul Carter! 654 00:35:25,967 --> 00:35:28,567 BROOKLIN: They tracked him down at a job site, which was 655 00:35:28,667 --> 00:35:30,767 a very rewarding moment 656 00:35:30,867 --> 00:35:33,467 to see, because they made him come down off the roof, 657 00:35:33,567 --> 00:35:36,867 and it was just perfect. 658 00:35:36,934 --> 00:35:39,233 Why would you tell Katherine 659 00:35:39,300 --> 00:35:41,533 that your partner had died? 660 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:42,934 Yeah, that was a mistake. 661 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:44,467 I was going through a bad time with 662 00:35:44,567 --> 00:35:47,834 my then wife, and it was just a mistake. 663 00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:53,233 They knew about the Uniting Church fiasco, and they just had 664 00:35:53,300 --> 00:35:56,533 facts and figures and numbers on different projects 665 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:57,867 that he was doing. 666 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,133 He hadn't had time to prepare any answers, 667 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:01,767 but he still denied everything. 668 00:36:01,867 --> 00:36:03,567 So I keep hearing this, but 669 00:36:03,667 --> 00:36:05,433 I don't know who you're talking about. 670 00:36:05,500 --> 00:36:08,066 He's just deny, deny, deny, deny. 671 00:36:08,166 --> 00:36:11,166 What about the Italian inheritance that didn't exist? 672 00:36:11,233 --> 00:36:12,166 There -- there isn't one. 673 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:16,734 -Was that another mistake? -Yeah, it was, yeah. 674 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:17,767 NARRATOR: After the expose, 675 00:36:17,867 --> 00:36:20,033 Paul Carter becomes the subject 676 00:36:20,100 --> 00:36:23,333 of a Homeland Security Investigation. 677 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:25,934 He had engaged in these fraud schemes for 678 00:36:26,066 --> 00:36:29,333 many years with almost no law enforcement intervention. 679 00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:31,634 We were able to determine that he 680 00:36:31,767 --> 00:36:34,834 had used multiple identities -- at that time, 681 00:36:34,900 --> 00:36:37,166 his most recent name is Paul Hamilton. 682 00:36:40,100 --> 00:36:44,066 We execute a search warrant at his residence. 683 00:36:44,166 --> 00:36:48,634 We found a law diploma under the name of Paul Hamilton. 684 00:36:48,700 --> 00:36:51,934 We found a document that was fraudulent 685 00:36:52,066 --> 00:36:53,667 from the Department of Homeland Security 686 00:36:53,767 --> 00:36:55,133 indicating that he had been awarded 687 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:56,734 United States citizenship. 688 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,333 We found military uniforms in his closet. 689 00:37:00,400 --> 00:37:04,367 We found a document indicating that he was 690 00:37:04,467 --> 00:37:08,567 the beneficiary of over $30 million in trust funds. 691 00:37:08,667 --> 00:37:10,667 All of these items were in line 692 00:37:10,767 --> 00:37:14,266 with what the underlying allegations were about him. 693 00:37:14,367 --> 00:37:17,066 We immediately arrested Paul Carter. 694 00:37:17,166 --> 00:37:19,467 So we took him into custody on 695 00:37:19,567 --> 00:37:22,867 the felony charges of visa fraud and false statements. 696 00:37:26,300 --> 00:37:28,467 NARRATOR: This should have been the end of Brooklin's 697 00:37:28,567 --> 00:37:29,934 nightmare with Paul, 698 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,767 except that her marriage to him has put her under 699 00:37:32,867 --> 00:37:35,667 the microscope of homeland security, as well. 700 00:37:35,767 --> 00:37:36,734 BROOKLIN: A couple of months later, 701 00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:40,767 it was about 9:30 or 10 o'clock in the morning, 702 00:37:40,867 --> 00:37:42,333 and there's a knock on the door. 703 00:37:43,467 --> 00:37:45,767 "Brooklin, we need you to open the door. 704 00:37:45,834 --> 00:37:47,934 It's Homeland Security." 705 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,834 The execution of the search warrant at Brooklin's house was 706 00:37:50,967 --> 00:37:53,967 specifically in regard to the allegations of marriage 707 00:37:54,033 --> 00:37:55,567 fraud against her. 708 00:37:55,700 --> 00:37:59,233 BROOKLIN: They're bashing on the door, "Open the door, Brooklin." 709 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:05,166 So I opened the door, and eight agents in bulletproof vests 710 00:38:05,266 --> 00:38:10,166 with guns stormed through my door and up the stairs. 711 00:38:13,500 --> 00:38:16,133 They took all our cell phones and computers, 712 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,433 took my son's gaming computer, 713 00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:20,333 everything that they could get their hands on, 714 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,567 and sent it to Quantico to get analyzed. 715 00:38:24,667 --> 00:38:27,667 NARRATOR: Brooklin is suspected of committing marriage fraud 716 00:38:27,767 --> 00:38:30,734 with her wife in order to gain a green card. 717 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:34,734 I was not prepared to drag her or her family 718 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:37,767 through the mud with the government. 719 00:38:37,867 --> 00:38:40,734 This was supposed to be a happy situation 720 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:41,800 for both of us. 721 00:38:41,967 --> 00:38:45,634 NARRATOR: Brooklin divorces her wife in June 2020. 722 00:38:45,700 --> 00:38:48,934 They never charged me with marriage fraud, 723 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,834 but it was enough for them to then 724 00:38:51,900 --> 00:38:55,467 look at the ESTA form that I filled in and decide, 725 00:38:55,567 --> 00:38:58,433 oh, well, that's not right either. 726 00:38:58,567 --> 00:39:01,266 There was a felony charge for filling in 727 00:39:01,367 --> 00:39:04,166 the ESTA while I was still in the United States. 728 00:39:04,266 --> 00:39:07,834 Brooklin Carter ultimately pled guilty to making false 729 00:39:07,900 --> 00:39:10,233 statements on the ESTA application, 730 00:39:10,300 --> 00:39:13,533 which is utilized to re-enter the United States at some point. 731 00:39:17,467 --> 00:39:19,967 NARRATOR: Paul Carter also faces his day of reckoning 732 00:39:20,066 --> 00:39:21,066 in a federal court, 733 00:39:21,166 --> 00:39:22,934 and despite the many allegations, 734 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:27,734 he too is charged with visa fraud on April 7th, 2021, 735 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,233 and held in an Albany jail. 736 00:39:30,300 --> 00:39:34,266 IAIN: Paul Carter was sentenced to time served 737 00:39:34,367 --> 00:39:36,133 and a $5,000 fine. 738 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:40,033 We were not, as an agency, pleased with the sentence, 739 00:39:40,100 --> 00:39:42,767 but he's now a convicted felon, 740 00:39:42,834 --> 00:39:45,533 which in part is based on the work that our agency 741 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:47,934 and our office did. 742 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,767 His deportation hearing has been delayed 743 00:39:50,834 --> 00:39:52,967 and now he has moved to 744 00:39:53,066 --> 00:39:57,166 the other side of the country and applied for a green card. 745 00:39:57,233 --> 00:40:02,033 So it seems that he's bought himself another couple of years 746 00:40:02,100 --> 00:40:03,834 of stalling techniques. 747 00:40:03,967 --> 00:40:06,634 IAIN: I think based on his history, 748 00:40:06,700 --> 00:40:09,333 it's likely that he'll come back around. 749 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:12,734 I'd be surprised if we haven't heard the last of Paul Carter. 750 00:40:19,066 --> 00:40:21,533 NARRATOR: Meanwhile, because of Brooklin's conviction, 751 00:40:21,667 --> 00:40:23,667 she must leave the United States, 752 00:40:23,767 --> 00:40:25,867 a huge disappointment, 753 00:40:25,967 --> 00:40:27,533 but there is a silver lining, 754 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:29,734 a man named Sean Donohue. 755 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:36,433 I heard that she had to leave the country, and I said, 756 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:40,967 I'm gonna marry you, and I'm gonna get your son away 757 00:40:41,066 --> 00:40:42,066 from Paul, 758 00:40:42,166 --> 00:40:44,333 and if he'll have me, and you'll allow it, 759 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:48,033 I'm going to adopt him and make him a Donohue. 760 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:52,233 I can't overstate how wonderful he has been to Mac 761 00:40:52,300 --> 00:40:55,934 and I -- he's the happy ending that we deserve. 762 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:59,066 I've brought chaos to this man's life, and he's still there 763 00:40:59,166 --> 00:41:00,433 standing right beside me, 764 00:41:00,500 --> 00:41:03,834 and I believe he will be till our dng days. 765 00:41:03,900 --> 00:41:05,934 SEAN: We're happy as can be now. 766 00:41:06,066 --> 00:41:10,867 We are not going to let anybody shatter our marriage, 767 00:41:10,967 --> 00:41:13,433 and I'll be with Brooklin as soon as I can 768 00:41:13,567 --> 00:41:17,066 in another country at the soonest available time. 769 00:41:17,166 --> 00:41:19,333 BROOKLIN: I've been dragged through the gates of 770 00:41:19,467 --> 00:41:21,767 hell to get to the happy ending. 771 00:41:21,867 --> 00:41:23,567 But I've come out the other end. 772 00:41:23,667 --> 00:41:25,934 It's gonna make a good story for my grandchildren, 773 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:27,000 that's for sure.