1. Eight Thousand five hundred
Frank Abagnale
8,500
5/8/70
Eight Thousand five hundred
Ruth Lynn
Frank Abagnale
10,000
1/23/65
Ten Thousand
John Smith
Frank Abagnale
4,000
2/13/62
Four Thousand
Frank Abagnale SR

2. Frank Abagnale
“What I did in my youth is hundreds of times easier today. Technology breeds crime.”

3. Background Born April 27, 1948 Grew up in New York
One out of four children of Paulette and Frank Abagnale
At the age of 12 parents divorced
Franks father was a major role model to him, he was also an affluent member to the local community in reference to politics
Frank then moved in with his father
His father gave him a gas credit card which he abused and used to plan his first scheme
Used the card to buy tires and batteries then returned the for cash, causing his dad to go into almost $4,000 of debt
After this he was sent to a home for wayward boys, he ran away from the home at 16 and started to live alone
Not able to get a job, and have a limited amount of formal education, Frank made a fake ID and claimed to be older and more educated to get jobs
Living this way he barley made ends meets, he resort to cash fake checks and over draw on personal accounts until the banks started to come after him for their money
This when he made his way to France

4. Crimes Crime Date and Location Punishment Fraud 1969 France
1 year (served 6 months then extradited to Sweden)
Fraud and swindling
1969 Sweden
6 Months (Deported to the US)
Multiple counts of Forgery
1970 USA
12 Years- not served (4 years served - probation in exchange for early release worked for FBI as forgery consultant)

5. Most recently committed crime
Multiple Counts of Forgery
Posed as a professor looking for a job at Brigham Young University
Fake his credentials and convinced the Dean to hire him as a sociology professor

6. Evidence
Frank Abagnale was a master criminal the evidence the could find was scarce
Check, Phone Calls, And fake IDs couldn’t be found/tracked
The testimony of an ex-girlfriend is what put him behind bars, the flight attendant told authorities she sited Frank, this report then led to his capture.

7. Sentenced Sentenced to 12 Years in prison
Instead he served 5 of the years
The FBI offered him freedom in exchange for his service (working for FBI as forgery consultant)

8. Theory
I think that the theory that fits Frank Abagnale is the Conflict Theory. In this theory They person in question turns to deviant behaviors because of limited resources or opportunities. That the ruling class is the higher class and laws are made for the purpose of protecting them. They have produce an image of the criminal class that is downgraded and dangerous. I think Frank falls into this theory because he was poor and could afford to live he turned to fraud and forgery to continue living his life, and once he got into the life he was stuck and still unable to meet his needs. I also think the fact that these crime where white collar further prove that this theory describes this criminal behavior. Although I do feel he put himself in the postion, his family wasn’t wealthy but they weren’t poor, he choose to put his father into debt in order to take girls out on dates. Then he choose to run away instead of going on the straight and narrow after reform school.

9. Definitions
Fraud- wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain
Swindling-use deception to deprive (someone) of money or possessions
Extradited- hand over (a person accused or convicted of a crime) to the jurisdiction of the foreign state in which the crime was committed
Forgery- the action of forging or producing a copy of a document, signature, banknote
Probation-A sentence whereby a convict is released from confinement but is still under court supervision; a testing or a trial period