The Dirty John of Boca Raton — A story of love bombing and conning
The series Dirty John was the beginning of an abundance of copycat shows like Dirty John the Betty Broderick story, The Con on ABC, Love Fraud, and many other Dateline and 20/20 episodes. But as they say, “Where there is smoke there is fire,” and the smoke that fuels these shows is from the fire of the real stories. This post, while exceptionally long, is a story of one of my best and dearest friends, Holly– a smart loving caring woman, a mother, a successful beautiful soul who fell for a con man — and I wanted to be clear about the whole story. I know every woman ultimately wants love, and as we get older and more single, we become more vulnerable as we crave love and attention and those high school butterflies. There is nothing to be ashamed of if this has happened to you, or if after reading this you start to question your potential partners (you should).
I was lucky enough to sit down with my friend Holly for breakfast, enjoying a couple of virgin Bloody Marys and talking like the true girlfriends we are, while waiting for her car titles to show up in the mail (more on this in the interview below). The reason I say “lucky” is that she was finally ready to talk — to tell her story to help other women any way she can– and I was lucky she was allowing me to use my forum as the platform for her message. I have a lot of women followers and customers, so I feel it is important for me to remind us all that we need to be careful.
Holly met Marcos on Bumble. Like many of us, (heightened since COVID) online dating is the new norm. As she explains to us in the interview below, her dream relationship turned into a nightmare. She thought that she had met the man of her dreams and was so happy. She woke up daily with good morning texts, check-ins throughout the day, and he always called her in the evening to talk and wish her goodnight. They made plans together — future plans, indefinite plans. This was the real thing she thought. But over time, things started not adding up. He was jobless, but he wanted to build a future with her, and she wanted love… the ending ultimately came with lawyers and police. She has lost over $200,000.00, a little self esteem (even though she’ll get that back with the help of friends and support around her), and she feels used and taken advantage of. Holly was married for 17 years, with her ex-husband for 20 years, and she was a newly divorced woman in her forties, already left with battered self esteem from her cheating ex (who left for a fitness trainer that I loathe named Sara). She was vulnerable and had been cheated on, blindsided by someone she was building a life with. She was the perfect target.
Here is the full story with Holly:
Heather: I am here with my friend Holly and we’re going to discuss relationships (talking about her experiences and a little bit of my own) and how women really need to look out for each other and for men who are predators. Especially us older women! Holly and I are both the same age, in our early 40’s. We do have money and businesses and things that we need to protect, and unfortunately predatory men look for girls who are vulnerable. Because who doesn’t want love in your 40’s when you’re single, right? We both do. So, let’s just dive in! Let’s talk about the ex, do we want to say his name?
Holly: Sure.
Heather: Okay, let’s talk about Marcos. I call him “The Dirty John of Boca Raton” for you guys that have watched the Dirty John series, or listen to the Heather McDonald podcast about the Dirty John of Chicago (which I was glued to)! If you haven’t listened to that podcast, then you need to, it was very telling and very similar stuff! Then, there’s another show called The Con on ABC right now and there’s also Love Fraud! So, this is happening to a lot of people, and this is real! So, let’s dive in with Marcos. Let’s talk about the timeline, you met him last Octoberish?
Holly: November 8th.
Heather: November 8th, wow you remember the day! I remember my con-artist day too! *Laughs* You never forget that, it sticks with you and it makes you so untrusting of people in general.
Holly: So, I met him on Bumble, and he was here visiting for the SEMA show. So right then and there we already had a connection. We both love cars, obviously-
Heather: Yeah, we will get to that later…
Holly: We just had a connection. Something connected us in a weird way.
Heather: What was he saying? Do you still have that first Bumble conversation?
Holly: No because I blocked him.
Heather: Oh OK! Good for you though.
Holly: I was just looking. I should have taken a screen shot. *Laughs* So, that evening we were talking, and the next morning I woke up and he wasn’t here anymore, he was in Florida. I said “Oh, you don’t live here?” and he said “No, I don’t but I come here a lot.”
Heather: Which was a lie.
Holly: Yeah! He never came back for other things so I flew down there right around Thanksgiving of last year to visit my brother, and I felt like I was on the Bachelor because he picked me up from my brother’s house with my luggage and I just felt weird.
Heather: Why?
Holly: He came up and gave me a big old hug and a kiss and stuff and he picked me up in his Escalade and then we went out for dinner and had about two beers and went back to his house-
Heather: Did he pay for dinner that night?
Holly: Yes, he did. We had- that was probably the best sex we ever had that night. He grabbed me, choked me, I’ll never forget-
Heather: He was very passionate.
Holly: Yes. Then the next day he acted like he had to work. He didn’t want me to just sit around his house-
Heather: Did you go to his house?
Holly: Yes!
Heather: You did? Was that the house that we found online?
Holly: Nope. That was a different house. So, he moved since then. His lease now is up at the end of December and he doesn’t think that is going to get renewed because of all his complaints and fines.
Heather: Complaints and fines from what?
Holly: Leaving his trash out longer than he is supposed to because he is in a guard gated community-
Heather: Well, maybe he should be more responsible.
Holly: Yeah and respectful.
Heather: We will get to that later about your property. How long were you there with him at his house?
Holly: Two days.
Heather: Didn’t you say the house was kind of odd to you, though? I thought you said something about picture frames or something to me, like things were not right.
Holly: That was the next house. He had picture frames up with those fake pictures in it.
Heather: That’s so weird.
Holly: Yeah, he has two dogs and he took me back to my brother’s house, and I sent a picture to him while I was on the way to the airport and said “Goodbye, I hope to see you again.” So, then we didn’t really talk a whole lot last November, but more so right after Christmas and the holidays-
Heather: Yeah because we actually went to L.A for your birthday and you guys weren’t really exclusive or anything at that point.
Holly: Right. I even asked him to come then.
Heather: And he didn’t want to?
Holly: No.
Heather: Why? What was his excuse?
Holly: He didn’t really have one.
Heather: He just said no?
Holly: Yeah…
Heather: That would have been fun. I mean not with what we know now, but you rented a fucking bad ass mansion why would he not come out there?
Holly: I know.
Heather: Do you think he was trying to play hard to get to get you more interested in him?
Holly: Possibly…
Heather: Yeah. So, then you didn’t really talk most of December. Well, you talked but it wasn’t like hot n’ heavy yet.
Holly: Crazy. Not like every day, ten times a day.
Heather: When did he come out here, or is this when you took him to Cabo?
Holly: We went to Cabo in February.
Heather: What happened in December after Christmas, how did you guys start talking?
Holly: Just-
Heather: it just got hot?
Holly: Yep!
Heather: What happened like how did it get hot and heavy?
Holly: He would just send me memes like, I want to fuck you. I miss you. I love you.
Heather: Out of the blue?
Holly: Yeah!
Heather: Yeah, because I remember this was, when did Hot Worx (your gym that you own) open?
Holly: Not until February 13th.
Heather: I remember I was kind of working out at Hot Worx before you got your saunas in and stuff in January.
Holly: Like whenever he would call me, I would have butterflies. Like, do I answer?
Heather: Yeah!
Holly: It was fun. It was hot and heavy for me. I will never forget it. I told him this over and over, that I just wish we were back to then. You know? Because now it’s not any fun.
Heather: Let’s let the readers know a little bit about your situation, so that there is a little bit of a back story. So, you were married for seventeen years, right? But you were together with him for longer.
Holly: About twenty.
Heather: Yeah and you have two children, and you were devastated because your now ex, cheated on you with a skanky trainer, named Sarah, who we hate. Anyway, so, you were pretty devastated, and I have to say this, you were blindsided by that because everyone thought you and Nick were “couple goals” — I mean come on. You were like Grant Cardone and his wife! You know what I mean? Like building and building and building together. You know? I just think its important for the readers to know that, because you were in a vulnerable state. When did you let Marcos know about the divorce, and did you mention any settlement money? It’s okay if you did, you know what I mean? You just thought this was your guy. But I need to get down to when you spilled the money beans.
Holly: So, in November is when I first said, “I was starting presales, or I would be in Florida right now.” So, he knew that I was opening a gym as of November. I would say by at least January or February, we were actually talking about money and he knew about all of my shit. My kids and what I have for life insurance. Details.
Heather: Yeah, and I remember, and I don’t want to call you out, but I remember when we were getting our hair done and you were on the phone with him and you barely knew him and you were sitting there handing him over your fucking information so he can get a car-
Holly: The Rolls.
Heather: Is that what car it was?
Holly: Yup!
Heather: You’ve had that car that long?
Holly: Since March!
Heather: I can’t! I can’t with you! You did not tell me! I hate you! This is why we couldn’t help you because you were hiding shit from us!
Holly: Yeah! You were like “Don’t do it. Don’t do it.”
Heather: I’m like “You don’t know this mother fucker! Hello!!”
Holly: Yeah but he was strong arming me with… I don’t even know what! He didn’t bring shit to the fucking table.
Heather: Right, so he has literally been driving that Rolls Royce…
Holly: He put 4,000 miles on that thing.
Heather: Readers we are going to get to the Rolls very, very soon because this all unfolds very crazy! So, by the end of January he knew all your shit.
Holly: Yup!
Heather: Ok, because he was hot and heavy with you, you thought he was going to be your man.
Holly: I remember telling you guys during Christmas, this mother fucker is going to move here.
Heather: Yeah! Actually, we all were like “Great, he should move here and see how it goes,” but I had a feeling that the mother fucker had no plans! So, he has been driving that Rolls with that other bitch since March?
Holly: Yes.
Heather: Ok, well we are going to get to that too! I know we are skipping around but we have to keep the readers engaged. *Laughs* So, by the end of January he basically knew everything, your money situation and trust me, this bitch is very smart, and very loaded, and very successful. So, let’s talk about whose idea was it to go to Cabo and who picked that place and all of that because that was a very expensive trip you took him on.
Holly: Yeah, it was probably 10-15 grand.
Heather: Oh yeah, you stayed at the St. Regis, correct?
Holly: No…
Heather: The Ritz?
Holly: Yes, the Ritz. The Waldorf, sorry.
Heather: Yeah. That’s still, yeah.
Holly: Yeah. It was amazing! The sex was amazing!
Heather: And this was the first time you had seen him since you went there in November!
Holly: I was seriously like sweating when I was getting off the airplane to go meet him because I’m like “Is this mother fucker going to show? Is he really going to be here?” And he did.
Heather: So, you guys met in Cabo?
Holly: No, we met in L.A. He flew there and I flew there and then we flew together to Cabo.
Heather: Ok! So, the trip was great. What was the conversation during the trip? I think you said, if I remember correctly, you told me after that trip that you guys had a lot of conversations about your future and this is when he kind of dug it in with you.
Holly: Yes, um, my end goal –and it still is– is to retire in either California or Florida. I haven’t decided yet where, and we just discussed a lot of family things. We talked about our families; you know. I kind of got to know his family through him, through his eyes, and he has been an IT director for about ten to fifteen years, so he is very smart in that sense. He was not happy in his job, he wanted to find something else. I think he saw me and saw what I had and wanted everything I had. Everything from the gym to the cars to the money and the trips you know?
Heather: He was very materialistic!
Holly: He just saw that and was very obsessed. I would call him obsessed with me. Like, if he didn’t hear from me in an hour or two, he would call me ten times.
Heather: Do you think it was obsession or do you think that he was too afraid that somebody else would get his money bag?
Holly: I don’t know. Good question.
Heather: Yeah. It is a good question. So, the trip was great, and I remember when you came back from that trip you were very happy.
Holly: Yes.
Heather: But me being the trustworthy, down to earth girl that I am, I was just like-
Holly: Something is not right.
Heather: Something isn’t right. This guy is too on your shit and you’re giving him way too much, because at that time, and we have to be honest here, so I know you had given him some money to do some business or was that just the car? Because that started in Cabo you giving him the money and the credit card, right?
Holly: No, not yet.
Heather: When did you give him the AMEX?
Holly: March? April?
Heather: I love how he put his light bill on there too, fucking loser.
Holly: But I wired him money to move into this new house. I helped him get into this new house he is in now. Then he wanted to buy a motorcycle, the chopper.
Heather: How much did you give him?
Holly: I don’t know, maybe 3-4 grand?
Heather: Okkkkurrrr
Holly: Then he’s like “Lets just start out small and let me buy this chopper for 7 grand. I think I can turn around and sell it for 10 and split the difference.” So, we started little things like that.
Heather: Ok, but he never sold it, right?
Holly: No! Its still in his fucking living room and it doesn’t run.
Heather: Why is it in his living room?
Holly: I know!
Heather: That is so disgusting.
Holly: It’s so weird. Like he’s showcasing it.
Heather: That is disgusting and weird.
Holly: Yeah, so, we started off with that, and then the Rolls.
Heather: What was the deal with the Rolls?
Holly: I put 20 grand on that thing.
Heather: Ok, and the loan is in your name?
Holly: Yes.
Heather: Ok, how did he put it in his name if the loan was in your name?
Holly: The Porsche is in his name.
Heather: Oh, the Porsche is in his name. The Rolls is not. Ok, good.
Holly: Um, yeah then July comes around and we went on another trip. Where else did we go? In between there, we went on another trip or two.
Heather: Yeah, we have to think where did you go? Because last time, it was pretty recent that you-
Holly: We went to Arizona.
Heather: Yes! So, let’s talk about that.
Holly: That was definitely during COVID. So, he quit his job in March, during COVID.
Heather: Yes.
Holly: He would call me every day saying how unhappy he is-
Heather: Do you think he had a fucking job?
Holly: Yeah, I do.
Heather: You sure?
Holly: Yeah, he was always buying lunch and shit for his guys.
Heather: With your credit card?
Holly: No, not at that point. Not yet.
Heather: I don’t know if he had a job, I am going to stick with that he didn’t have a job. I really don’t.
Holly: At a pet supermarket.
Heather: Yeah? You called there and you verified it?
Holly: No.
Heather: Ok, then you don’t know! *Laughs* Oh, Holly.
Holly: Hoe well.
Heather: Hoe well. That’s what we always say! Cheers. We are having Virgin Bloody Mary’s right now by the way. I had to bring my girl breakfast.
Holly: Yeah, so, we went to Arizona. I think that was our next trip. We did shop, and it was always about him buying shit.
Heather: Ok! Let’s back up. So, this is when it gets really weird with your friends and we all started to say, “what the fuck is going on” and then I think you started to wonder what is the deal? We started to ask “Why doesn’t he want to meet your friends? Or Family?” or anything so he didn’t want to meet anyone. So, he flies into Vegas, we were going to meet him, and he immediately makes you take him on another trip. His reasoning for wanting to go on this trip was because why? Wasn’t the reason he wanted to go on a private plane. Let’s talk about that because everyone wanted to meet him.
Holly: Yeah. He had never been on one before (a private plane).
Heather: So? That is not your fucking problem.
Holly: I know.
Heather: So, you go to Arizona and how was that trip? And let’s talk about him buying shit for his family, and how he is starting to tell you his family is so poor and all of this stuff.
Holly: How his mom moved over here from Brazil and she has a huge retirement, but the dollar isn’t as much. So, she hasn’t cashed it out, so he helps his mom every month. He pays her credit card and she only makes $700 dollars a month for social security and his mom lives with his sister and their 3 kids. They are building a house and they are moving into the new house in a month. I probably paid for that too!
Heather: I’m sure you did. So how was the trip in Arizona and was this the trip you rented the Lambos?
Holly: Yes, it is. Oh. We went to Tahoe too.
Heather: You did? I didn’t know that. You little liar face.
Holly: We went to Tahoe, that is where we got the Lambo. And then we did the racetrack here. Its always about money and cars.
Heather: So, tell me what month you think you started to be like he is using me.
Holly: Arizona!
Heather: Arizona… tell me all the red flags.
Holly: Because we would be at the pool and all he would do is Instagram of himself. By himself. Never with me.
Heather: Yes, let’s talk about that. How he never posted you.
Holly: Yeah, Never. Never, never, never.
Heather: At this time, you have been together since November 8th, we can call it Christmas time for the real hot and heavy beginning lol
Holly: He said he keeps his personal life out of his Instagram. He doesn’t want his family to be digging into me because it would tie him back to me.
Heather: So, why does that matter?
Holly: Yeah, he should be proud.
Heather: Yes. So, what was his reasoning with his family? I mean, you are basically helping him support his damn family at this time so… and you never met them?
Holly: Nope. No.
Heather: So, the house that you helped him get into is the house that he is in now?
Holly: In his dad’s name, not even his own name.
Heather: Because he has shit credit?
Holly: Yup.
Heather: Tell me about this house he parties in with bitches, but won’t post you. Have you been there?
Holly: I’ve been there a couple of times.
Heather: Oh, you have?
Holly: Yeah, but the first time it was just disgusting. He doesn’t keep anything clean and I wouldn’t even want to step on the rugs.
Heather: Really?
Holly: Yeah! It’s like gross. So, one day I was there and looking through the master bathroom and there was a hair curler, and I was like oh what’s this from? Whose is this? He said “Oh, that’s my mom’s because she comes to stay with the dogs when I come to you.”
Heather: Oh, ok.
Holly: Yeah.
Heather: So that made sense to you?
Holly: Yes and no. Because she would stay in the spare room so why wasn’t she using it in there?
Heather: Correct.
Holly: So, it didn’t add up. There were so many red flags that-
Heather: Don’t feel stupid because there’s a common term that, remember I was sending you the definition. I said he was “Love bombing” you. He is making you feel like you’re the only one. He has an excuse for everything and that is a common thing, and that is why we are doing this interview so that we can help other women. You know?
Holly: Yes. You know, Kind of jump back to the COVID thing. My gym closed, I was depressed then because I just opened and I didn’t want to lose it and I was nervous, and he was there for me every day and every morning. Every morning he would text me at 6am and say “how’s my Queen? Love you” blah blah blah and every time I would text him back, he would FaceTime me in a jiffy.
Heather: Yup! You said his FaceTime were always weird too like he was always outside or something.
Holly: Yeah, he was always pacing in his backyard. Like he is nervous, you know what I mean? So, it was kind of weird.
Heather: So, lets talk about Arizona, what month did you go to Arizona?
Holly: Probably like April.
Heather: Yes, it was during COVID and it was right when Arizona opened back up.
Holly: Yes.
Heather: So, tell us about that trip. That was the trip where all of us friends were like “Hey, why aren’t we all going to the Stove and all having brunch and that’s when Nick, our really good friend, and Courtney we all started to think something was fucking up!
Holly: Yeah, so, we got to Arizona. He flew here and then we flew down there together. We did some shopping and some hiking.
Heather: Let’s talk about the shopping.
Holly: He was all about finding stuff on sale. It was really weird.
Heather: Do you think that was a way of him trying to show you that he did not want you to spend your money? Yet he is sitting on a fucking Rolls Royce in his driveway?
Holly: Yeah! Then, that’s when we started talking about flipping cars. That’s how we got the Porsche.
Heather: So, what was the plan with the Rolls?
Holly: Right, we were supposed to flip that too! Like he thought we could sell it for $160k. We bought it for $140k. Well, I bought it.
Heather: What year is it?
Holly: 2014.
Heather: Oh, ok it looks brand new! That’s a good price. Too bad I’m such a bad driver or I would buy it from you. I would have that thing crashed in two days. *Laughs* I swear to god I’m so bad, oh my god.
Holly: So, then he’s like “Lets buy this Porsche, I can get it for 55 grand, and we could probably sell it in Nevada for like 100 grand.” So that’s why I bought that. I’ve always wanted one of these, it’s like my dream car. So, he was supposed to do a few modifications on it and send it to me, but he never sent it to me. Then it all got down to this trust and how loyal he is, and he said “Why don’t you trust me? I’m going to put the car in my name” and then he was supposed to send me the title and he never did. He never did shit to it.
Holly: I know and then his Cadillac started breaking down and he said “I don’t want to be without cars” I’m like dude you got three fucking cars in your garage. I had one and I am paying for all these. So, it started going sour in June.
Heather: June?
Holly: Yeah. It just started spiraling.
Heather: What month did you go to Tulum? July? That’s when I went to Atlanta to visit Nick, may he rest in peace, I still can’t believe he is dead. So, when I went to go visit my friend Nick and Britney down in Atlanta, I met you at the airport in Atlanta to fly back home together because we happened to be on the same flight which was so great.
Holly: Weird, we were on the same flight.
Heather: That night you were very upset and kept saying, “I know he is using me.” Because you were trying to get the Porsche for a month?
Holly: Yes, and the trip was good, but it wasn’t. The sex started changing then. I felt like he wasn’t turned on by me. I even brought some cute outfits, and I didn’t even put them on because I didn’t feel it. But on the flip side, we still had this chemistry where we were still drawn to each other. You know? We were on this road trip for 5 hours from Tulum to wherever we were going, and we would just play games, but I don’t know it was weird. Like we were a couple but weren’t. You know? We had such a huge chemistry. Then, he started becoming a Debbie Downer. Like “Oh, this sucks” or “Oh, it’s raining” like dude.
Heather: You are on a vacation you didn’t pay for, deal with it.
Holly: I’m like, there’s people out here starving and look what we have to enjoy. Enjoy your life. He just started becoming a Debbie Downer and ever since then he just starts saying “I’m so depressed” or like “I’ve lost ten pounds and I can’t eat. I don’t even want to go to the gym”
Heather: What was this about? This was when you were trying to get your cars back and depression set in with him?
Holly: Yes, and he always had an excuse like to be mad or depressed. I felt like I had to be the rock for so many months. I had to be uplifting and send him like “hey, let’s have a great day today” texts, but before it was always him doing that to me and now its flip flopped because my gym was down and he would say “You’re going to open back up, the Governor is going to open you guys back up and it will be ok.” He was always my rock for so many months, and now I felt it was just totally flip flopped, and it was draining, and I couldn’t do it anymore. I probably broke up with him four times, and he just wouldn’t let me.
Heather: Yeah! He wouldn’t let you. So that was the middle to the end of July when the Tulum trip happened, and has he come back here? Has he done any other trips? …because you don’t tell us everything. *Laughs*
Holly: He’s been here twice since then but I felt like every time he would come here; he would put all these lights up and he put the fan up and the screen-
Heather: Well he didn’t do a very good job on the lights.
Holly: I know. Everything he did was half-assed. Like my ice maker would break, he would come and fix it, and it would only work for two days. Everything he tried to fix would break.
Heather: Because he didn’t want to do it.
Holly: Yeah! I felt like we were using each other by then. He knew he needed to come here but it was always like Go, go, go, go, go! I’m like, “I want to relax.”
Heather: Yeah because when you guys went paddle boarding and he posted all his pictures on the thing. So, let’s talk about, it was probably August-
Holly: And every time he wanted to take pictures of my Porsche, he never put the Hot Worx (my gym) license plate in with it and I’m like why? He said that it was kind of like a girly thing, but he never wanted to tie me to him. That’s why.
Heather: Ok, so let’s talk about the Hot Worx franchises and how he weaseled his way into that?
Holly: We were trying to come up with avenues to make money together, and we seriously would text each other our goals for the week and mark them off. It was so weird. It slowly would just not work out because he wouldn’t do anything. It was always me, I felt like I busted my ass to keep him afloat.
Heather: You did.
Holly: Yeah and he would never come through with half of what he said he would do. So, his Camaro is here.
Heather: Are you going to send that back to him? No right? Not until he gives you the 50k back so, lets get into that.
Holly: Yeah, he said I am going to pay you back for everything you’ve done-
Heather: That’s never going to happen. So, you knew August it started getting really bad, but he came here a couple of times, and he didn’t want to help you out with stuff. He wanted to come here, and he wanted you to take him places. It was always let’s go somewhere, let’s go somewhere, lets go somewhere.
Holly: Spend money. Money, money, money.
Heather: Just for all the readers to know, I’m sitting in Holly’s backyard right now as we do this interview, and she has a beautiful house that has been completely redone, and I’m sorry but if my boyfriend came to visit me and didn’t want to chill in my phat house and just relax on the couch and watch a movie or get in the hot tub, I would think something is wrong too. Like why do I have to take you somewhere all the time?
Holly: Right?
Heather: So, those were the two trips in August?
Holly: Yup.
Heather: So, lets go to September. Is this when you started to fight heavy to get the cars back?
Holly: Yes, and he kept being mad at me for asking. I would ask when the transport company was coming? “That’s all you fucking care about.” Blah blah blah I’m like, “Well, yeah.” I have 210,000 dollars in your driveway.
Heather: Then he came here in September and we are going to get into the dirty, dirty of it. So, he came here in September and how was that trip?
Holly: It was ok. That is when we did the Race car thing. We grilled out.
Holly: Did you give him any money on that trip or anything?
Holly: No.
Heather: Did he need anything? Because I feel like most of the trips, he always needed something or had some fucking idea he needed money for. And I would always ask, sorry but I did, “how much did this cost you?”.
Holly: But the next trip he had promised he would meet my mom and stepdad. Well that weekend he wanted to go, go, go, like always, and I just wanted to go have lunch with my mom and I said, “I want you to meet her,” and when I was supposed to go to Florida to visit, I was going to meet his family. Well, it never happened. So, I kind of pulled a trick and said let’s go to my mom’s pool, so we have to stop by her house to get the keys. He was so bent out of shape. He said “I can’t believe you are going to pull this on me” I said, “What is the big deal? Like just go in and meet them” and he’s like, “I’m not going in their house!”
Heather: Wait, so he wouldn’t go in to meet them? Your Mother? Wow.
Holly: No, but he did. Eventually. But it was just weird I’m like, “What is the big deal? Just go in and meet them, they’re great people.” You know? It’s like I don’t understand what his deal was. So, I went in and got the keys and he stood at the end of the doorway stairs and he wouldn’t go in the house, so they came out to meet him on the front porch. So, I’m like “what kind of man is that?”
Heather: Exactly! Somebody who is hiding something!
Holly: Yeah! I’m like “What is your deal?” So, we went to the pool for a little bit and then we just came back home.
Heather: That was the end of September, and so let’s get into, you were realizing that over the last few months that he was a certified fucking user and you felt bad as any woman would, like what have I done? What am I doing? Am I that big of a fucking loser that I have to pay for somebody? Trust me, I’ve been there honey, Ok? I’ve had my fair share of those situations in my life. It makes you feel unattractive, beat down, and makes you feel like you can’t get anybody. I get it. Which its not the case with either one of us, but it’s just normal human behavior and the dynamics of a relationship in which you are being taken advantage of, and you don’t want to believe it. That was the end of September, so we are on October 19th right now. So, you have been trying to get the Porsche, The Rolls, and two Hot Worx franchises in his name right now.
Holly: Three.
Heather: It’s in his name for Vegas too? Jesus.
Holly: Yes.
Heather: Oh, see you didn’t tell me that! Every time I try to talk to you, you tell me more shit. Can’t you call Hot Worx and say “Hey, I found out my boyfriends a fucking con-artist and I’m filing papers on him” and show them the paperwork, and hopefully they transfer it back into your name because you paid for it? You have the wire proof, right?
Holly: Yes.
Heather: So, I think we are ok with that.
Holly: Yes, I think we’re ok with that one. I think I am going to transfer them to California.
Heather: I think you would do so well in California. I don’t think you need another one here.
Holly: I don’t want to do another one here.
Heather: I don’t think you need it, there’s Drop Sauna, there’s so many things. The thing about L.A. is that you are going to get all the actors and actresses, and of course I would help you with that. I would be your biggest cheerleader there, all I want is my free membership. Kidding.
Holly: That’s what he said too. “I’m your biggest cheerleader.”
Heather: Oh God, well we know difference and facts. Anyway, let’s talk about what happened a week ago when Courtney was at her friends.
Holly: Last Sunday.
Heather: Last Sunday. It feels like a blur to me.
Holly: Let’s back it up a few days before that. He flew to Cabo from here in September. For his buddy’s birthday.
Heather: Which we will divulge what was really happening.
Holly: So, he went from my bed, to a Cabo bed with the bitch.
Heather: So, last Sunday you had female intuition something was going on. We actually got, the FBI friends that Holly has, we are never going to say “I told you so” but I told you so *laughs* We actually got a burner page on Instagram and its our friend Courtney and she has an old white lady profile and he added her. So, we have been sitting on his page not doing anything, not liking anything, nothing! So, you had woman’s intuition last Sunday and you called Courtney. So, tell me about that.
Holly: So, Friday his buddy was flying in from Atlanta to Florida and he was going to be hanging with him all weekend, and it was short and sweet. Then Saturday night he texted and said he loved me and he would call me in the morning. He texts me “Good morning queen” and I didn’t text him back. I called him on FaceTime and he didn’t answer, which was odd because we FaceTime every fucking morning. Like around 6:30am. He said he was having breakfast with Antonio and he would call me in a few minutes. Not ten minutes later he voice calls me, he doesn’t FaceTime me. I asked, “Why are you not FaceTiming me?” He goes “Really? You’re going to do this?” I said “Well, yeah if you’ve got nothing to hide why are you not FaceTiming me?” He goes, “I’ll just talk to you later” and that’s when it all went down.
Heather: So, he wouldn’t pick up the FaceTime while he was in Cabo?
Holly: No, He was in Miami. With a girl.
Heather: They were on their way to Cabo?
Holly: No, no, no, this was when they were at Brunch. Cheers post on IG.
Heather: Oh! Ok!
Holly: So, he wasn’t with Antonio he was with the girl. Then this whole week has been a blur. He said he made a huge mistake, and he fucked up, and blah blah blah. He made a lot of bad mistakes and he wanted to see if someone else would make him feel better, and she didn’t. She didn’t make him feel like I do, and you know every excuse in the book.
Heather: So, lets talk about what we saw on his Instagram because you called Courtney and she looked at his Instagram.
Holly: Yeah so, he was with her on the boat that Saturday night.
Heather: They were in Miami?
Holly: Both, so that was Cabo and in Miami. He said they only hooked up like two or three times. He never fucked her.
Heather: That is such a lie. We cracked the case, me, Courtney, and Autumn, with their burner pages and found out he left your house in Vegas to go to Cabo with her, on your dime. Then flew to Miami from Cabo for more fun. Fuck him. She is his next con.
Holly: Yeah.
Heather: She was posting she was in love and they were posting pictures all together and he never posted a picture with you.
Holly: Yeah, exactly.
Heather: You never met any of his friends and he kept you completely separate.
Holly: Yes.
Heather: So, that’s when it got nasty about the cars.
Holly: Yes, and he said “I knew this was going to come down to this and you proved everything to me just like you said you wouldn’t. You would be here for me if things didn’t work out with Hot Worx or any of the other adventures we tried.” I even tried to buy a boat with him.
Heather: You did, I remember that.
Holly: Yeah, we thought that would be a good investment and he can charter it. He never brought anything to the table, and it was always me, and I was like I am so done with this, I can’t do this anymore. You know? He is sucking me dry.
Heather: Then it got nasty about the cars. So, we find out between you and your friends that he has a girlfriend and he is posted all over her private page (our friend Autumn gets her burner page added on there) and this girl looks like she has some money too. I mean, she’s a physician’s assistant, and she works at a spa. We think she might even own it. So, this might have just been his next target and he was trying to keep your cars. So, that’s why he had been distant with you.
Holly: So, that Sunday night I had arranged for a transport company to show up at his house. They said it would be 1-5 days and it was on a Tuesday and then he basically demanded 50k to ship the cars to me. I only wired him 20k that morning and then he called the transport company and told them he was not going to release the Porsche. That they should bring the Porsche back to him unless I paid him in full. So, I had to go to the bank again and wire him another 30k and I was almost in tears.
Heather: He basically extorted you.
Holly: This is my fucking money, I paid for these fucking cars. I have proof that I sent the money back in July to buy this car and you’re taking more of my money and he basically didn’t give a shit.
Heather: The titles are supposed to arrive today, and he sent them USPS, which we think is really fucked up, like he was just buying time. He since deleted his Instagram. He is still texting you about how you ruined his life, and he has no job, no car or anything, trying to play pity party and trying to get back with you.
Holly: Yeah. He said “I feel like just moving away, I would move to Nevada”
Heather: He says he has nothing, yet he has 50k of your money, not to mention all of the other money you have given him! Helped him move into his house. Trips. You gave him a credit card which he used for his bills.
Holly: Yeah, probably 200k when all is said and done.
Heather: Yep! So, the titles are to come today. What are you going to do if the titles don’t come? I think they will though, I mean he shipped the cars. Do you think he is staying in contact with you to try to get more money for the title?
Holly: No. I don’t think so. But I feel like he is going to blame me for not being able to get a job. I’m like “dude you were the one that was unhappy with your job, you’re the one that quit. I didn’t make you quit. You did not like your job. You were unhappy and now he is blaming me because of COVID and nobody is hiring IT directors because it’s the end of the year and they’re trying to make budgets.
Heather: That’s not your problem.
Holly: I know. I feel like he is just blaming me for everything. It’s dumb.
Heather: So as of now, with the end of this interview, he is still trying to come after her and play pity party, but what we find odd is that his photos are still up on that Melanie girls’ page. The fucking Bonnie and Clyde scammers.
Holly: I remember sitting in his house one day and he called you Melanie.
Heather: No!!
Holly: Yeah, he goes “Oh is Melanie telling you not to do this?” and I’m like huh?
Heather: What? So, he was getting his shit screwed up?
Holly: Yeah.
Heather: Yeah, he hated me because I knew from the fucking get go. I knew as soon as you guys got that Cabo trip and he wanted to do this business and that business, and he said “All I want to do is fuck you and make you money” and all shit like that, I knew this was a Dirty John situation. There is so much more, and we didn’t know a lot of this as your friends because I am sure you felt stupid.
Holly: Yeah! I know, I know, that’s why I’m like “how do you think I feel?”
At the end of this interview, Marcos was still messaging her. We also got a text message from our friend Autumn of an IG story where he made his girlfriend lunch that same day, all while texting Holly that he is ruined and miserable. The titles finally came and he did not sign them. I hope you all stay away from Marcos, The Dirty John of Boca Raton. In conclusion, WE as women need to make sure that we are watching out for our girl gang. While our friend group really always thought something was up with this new guy, as the old saying goes, “love is blind.” I’m just happy that she is happy now. She has recovered the cars, is in the process of recovering her gym franchises, she has a great lawyer, and he has been served. She is dating, happy, and healthy. I am actually going to start training with her for a fitness competition soon, because we are both in a bit of a funk lately and know that working out and training will help clear the fog.