Lecture Notes on Jose's Story

Introduction

• Story of a man named Jose who pretended to be dead.
• Jose is a millionaire furniture store owner and local celebrity.

Jose's Background

• Owns Circle K Furniture, known for his commercials.
• Claims to have a military background and CIA connections, but is actually in deep debt.

Financial Struggles

• Despite his millionaire image, Jose is over $1 million in debt.
• His furniture stores have not been profitable for some time.

The Plan to Fake His Death

• Instead of admitting financial trouble, Jose decides to fake his death.
• Tells his wife, Daphne, that he has mad cow disease.
• Claims he contracted it while on a special ops mission where he ate raw monkey brains.

Execution of the Scheme

• Jose convinces Daphne he has only 6 months to live and needs experimental treatment in Colombia.
• Plan is to fake his death during surgery and get a death certificate.

Failure of the Initial Plan

• The doctor in Colombia backs out, leading to a need for a new plan.

New Plan Involving Daphne

• Jose tells Daphne he fabricated the illness to protect them from cartel retaliation.
• Together they create a new plan to fake his death, involving life insurance policies.

Insurance Fraud

• They take out $9 million in life insurance on Jose.
• Jose flies to Venezuela to buy a fake death certificate and cremation certificate.

Aftermath of the Fake Death

• Daphne claims Jose died in Venezuela and collects $870,000 in insurance money.
• Jose smuggles back into Florida and hides out in a cabin in North Carolina for two years.

Arrest and Investigation

• Jose changes his appearance and identity but raises suspicion while applying for a passport.
• The state department flags his application due to discrepancies.
• FBI investigates and arrests both Jose and Daphne for insurance fraud.

Legal Consequences

• While in jail, Daphne still believes Jose's lies about his military background.
• She is convinced the government will rescue them.
• After 16 months, she realizes the truth and takes a plea deal (5 years probation).
• Jose gets 14 years in prison after pleading guilty.

Conclusion

• The story illustrates the lengths one can go to avoid admitting failure and the consequences of deception.