My Daughter’s Fiancé Tried To Put Me In A Nursing Home To Steal My House. He Didn’t Realize I’m A Retired Fbi Agent With $12m In The Bank. Who Is The Real Victim Now?
The True Net Worth
Emily had moved back into her childhood room. She was healing slowly, the betrayal still raw. I gave her space, cooked her favorite meals, waited for her to be ready to talk.
One evening she found me in my study surrounded by folders and documents.
“What is all this?”
I made a decision then. She deserved the truth.
“Sit down sweetheart. There’s something I need to tell you about who I really am.”
I told her everything. The 30 years with the FBI, the financial crimes division, the investigations, the convictions, the dangerous people I’d put away. I told her about the consulting work after retirement, the investments that had grown substantially, the property holdings I’d kept hidden.
“Your mother knew,”
I said.
“We decided together to raise you without all of that. We wanted you to be normal, to earn things yourself, to not be a target.”
Emily stared at me.
“How much daddy? How much are you actually worth?”
I hesitated.
“Around 12 million, give or take.”
She laughed a slightly hysterical sound.
“12 million. Derek thought you had maybe 300,000 in savings. He was going to destroy our lives for 300,000 and you have 12 million.”
He had no idea who he was dealing with. No. She shook her head slowly.
“He really didn’t.”
The Lawsuit
The next week Derek made his move. He filed a lawsuit against me for intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming I had poisoned Emily against him, destroyed their relationship, caused him severe psychological harm. He wanted $500,000.
Karen added her own suit for 300,000, claiming I had defamed her real estate business. I was sitting on my porch when the process server arrived. I accepted the documents, read them carefully, then started laughing.
I called Jessica.
“They just made the biggest mistake of their lives.”
Her voice was gleeful.
“I know. By filing suit they opened themselves up to discovery. We subpoena everything: bank records, communications, prior relationships. And we counter with elder financial abuse charges.”
“How much?”
“Texas Penal Code section 32.53, financial exploitation of an elderly individual, third-degree felony plus civil damages. I’m thinking 8 million.”
The Courtroom Showdown
The preliminary hearing happened 3 weeks later in Travis County Courthouse. Derek and Karen appeared with a lawyer who looked like he’d been hired that morning: cheap suit, nervous energy, flipping through papers he clearly hadn’t read thoroughly.
I sat at the plaintiff’s table with Jessica, calm, patient, waiting. The judge reviewed our filing, the recorded conversation Emily had captured on her phone 2 days before the engagement party when she’d suspected something and left her recording app running.
Derek’s voice clear as a bell explaining exactly how he planned to institutionalize me.
“Your Honor,”
Jessica said.
“We have evidence of a coordinated scheme to defraud an elderly Texas resident. Mr. Collins and his sister Miss Collins have a documented history of targeting vulnerable seniors. This wasn’t a relationship gone wrong; this was premeditated financial exploitation.”
Derek’s lawyer tried to object. The judge cut him off.
“I’ve reviewed the evidence, Counselor. The recording alone is damning but the pattern of prior behavior makes this case exceptional.”
He looked directly at Derek.
“Mr. Collins, I’m granting a temporary restraining order. You are not to approach within 500 ft of Thomas Wright or Emily Wright. Any violation will result in immediate arrest.”
The Reveal
Derek’s face went white. Karen looked like she might faint. But the real moment came when Jessica called me to testify.
“Mr. Wright, the defendants have characterized you as a confused elderly man, a retired teacher living on a modest pension who became irrationally jealous of his daughter’s successful fiancé. Could you please clarify your actual circumstances?”
I stood, straightened my jacket, and spoke clearly.
“My name is Thomas Wright. I’m 67 years old. For 30 years I served as a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, specializing in financial crimes and fraud investigation.”
“I’ve personally led investigations that resulted in over 400 convictions and the recovery of over $2 billion in stolen assets.”
The courtroom went silent.
“After my retirement, I continued consulting for federal agencies and private institutions on fraud prevention. I also made investments that have performed well over the years. My current net worth is approximately $12 million, managed through a family trust.”
Derek’s mouth fell open.
“Mr. Collins targeted my daughter believing I was a vulnerable pensioner. He planned to have me declared incompetent, seize my assets, and disappear. He had no idea he was attempting to defraud a former federal agent with 30 years of experience catching people exactly like him.”
I looked directly at Derek.
“I spent my career putting con artists in prison. You walked into my house, tried to steal my daughter’s future and my freedom, and thought I wouldn’t notice. You were wrong.”
The judge called a recess. Derek and Karen huddled with their overwhelmed lawyer. I could see them arguing, panic setting in.
Jessica leaned over.
“The DA’s office called. They’re filing criminal charges this afternoon: tax fraud, loan fraud, elder exploitation. Derek’s looking at 5 to 10 years and Karen, she’s cooperating, turning on her brother in exchange for reduced charges. Seems their partnership wasn’t as strong as they thought.”
