Rambling message to wife admits 20 years of theft

Brad Bleidt rationalized his heavy drinking and an apparently busted marriage on the ``magnitude'' of a Ponzi swindle that left him in a ``hell of guilt,'' he says on a tape intended to be his last words to his wife.

``I've lived with that horror of the day of reckoning for years and that's sort of where the drinking's come from and me being distant and me being removed,'' Bleidt said in the rambling message to Bonnie Bleidt left just hours before he botched a suicide bid.

Bleidt gave little chance for his wife to brace herself before launching into his at times self-pitying diatribe.

``Hello, Bonnie. It's me. Straight to the chase here. Tragic, tragic, tragic news,'' Bleidt said, according to transcripts made by the Securities and Exchange Commission. ``I'm guilty of some very hideous crimes. I've been stealing clients' monies for roughly 20 years.''

Bleidt told Bonnie she was ``one of the brightest spots in my life'' and ``wonderful'' and ``capable'' and ``deserve(d) everything good.''

``You're going to have to be strong Bon,'' Bleidt said in the transcript, before launching into details of his scam and how he ``made sure you had no clue about any of this, so you've got the innocent spouse rule.''

The transcript, marked ``Tape #6 `Bonnie' '' in SEC filings, rambles on about his life insurance policy, his thoughts about the future of his radio station, his legal advice to his wife and his hope that she takes care of his children and mother after he's gone.

Among the victims he swindled, Bleidt allegedly took advantage of his own mother.

``You know, I love you very, very, very much, and it hurts me to know I chased you off, but now you know why I chased you off,'' Bleidt said in his taped message. ``I couldn't live with myself so why could I live with anybody else?''

Bonnie Bleidt, a former broadcaster on the all-business radio station that her husband bought with swindled funds, has been in seclusion since last month.

Transcription excerpts from Brad Bleidt's taped confession to his estranged wife, Bonnie Bleidt.

``Hello Bonnie, it's me. Straight to the chase here. Tragic, tragic, tragic news. I'm guilty of some very hideous crimes.''

``Maybe this can explain some of my behavior over the last several years, because I've been living in a hell. A hell from guilt knowing what I've done.''

``I've lived with that horror of the day of reckoning for years, and that's sort of where the drinking's come from and me being distant and me being removed.''

``And maybe, if we can - if you can survive this ordeal which is about to unfold, you can find some freedom, some relief, and the situation that's gotten so bad that we've lived in is going to rectify itself because the problem is being removed - that's me.''

``You're going to have to be strong, Bon. I know you can do it. And I think maybe underneath the, the overwhelming tragedy, you might even find a sense of relief here because a new chapter of your life is about ready to start.''

``You know, I love you very, very, very much, and it hurt me to know that I chased you off, but now you know why . . . I couldn't live with myself so how could I live with anybody else.''

``Anyway, just know I love you and I'm obviously gone. And I'm sorry Bonnie, I really am. Maybe some day you can forgive me.''

Owner of Boston radio station WBIX has admitted to bilking clients of tens of millions of dollars. He attempted suicide after mailing tapes detailing his crime(s) to his wife, his mother, and the SEC. An attempt is being made to get some of the stolen money back (investors in some cases lost their life savings). The radio station's employees are out of work and a previous owner is temporarily running it, at least long enough to get a buyer.

More info:

http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=56778

"...in a sensational confession released yesterday, Bleidt admitted he was killing himself to secure a $2 million life insurance payment.

He wanted to ensure that, whatever happened to those who had trusted him with their savings, his family could continue to enjoy a life of prosperity, private schools and luxury cars."

2 posted on 12/02/2004 1:01:23 AM PST by raccoonradio (Good news, liberals! Only 1,510 days left in the Bush administration.)

Man...I'm trying to find some glimmer of hope in this whole mess and I can't see it. The guy's sealed his own fate and it looks like the people he ripped off will never see a dime of their money back. And he's made his family a wreck through all of it.

I'll go to sleep counting my blessings tonight, that's for sure...

3 posted on 12/02/2004 1:04:22 AM PST by Prime Choice (I like Democrats, too. Let's exchange recipes.)

Financial quote of the day:

"There are two kinds of people in this world, givers and takers. Takers eat better, givers sleep better."

C'mon, swindlers are usually rewarded light prison terms, say compared to a bank robber. What a wuss. How did he try to to off himself, sleeping pills?

I think he tried the old carbon monoxide trick in the garage, but somehow he stumbled, bumped up against a pool table, and broke his neck or collarbone or something. He was in Mass. General Hosp. for a week and it was there he was arrested.

6 posted on 12/02/2004 8:31:36 AM PST by raccoonradio (Good news, liberals! Only 1,510 days left in the Bush administration.)

Yeah, but he's sorry! /sarcasm

Sheesh! Look up loser in the dictionary.....

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8 posted on 12/02/2004 11:04:01 AM PST by viaveritasvita (God poured His love out on us! Romans 5:5-8)

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