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The con queen: A time line
By CHRIS TISCH
Published June 24, 2007
Jan. 31, 1969
Shirley Gordon is arrested trying to steal a red and white dress from a Maas Brothers store in Tampa. She is fined $100. The arrest occurred on Gordon's 18th birthday, meaning she logged the first entry on her adult criminal record on the first day she was eligible.
April 17, 1975
Gordon is arrested for shoplifting for the seventh time in her young life.
April 18, 1975
Joe "Bonimo" Rodriguez is sentenced to five years in prison on heroin charges, the first of several convictions that toppled the drug kingpin's empire. Gordon had married Bonimo's son on a cruise ship, though the marriage was not legally recognized in the United States. The couple eventually split, and Gordon, who had enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle, began committing more sophisticated crimes.
Feb. 27, 1976
Gordon is arrested for check fraud for the first time.
Aug. 21, 1980
Gordon isn't yet 30, but she has been arrested 13 times already, including on this day for shoplifting, missing court for a previous worthless check charge and contempt of court.
Aug. 6, 1983
Gordon and Greg Buchanan marry and enjoy an expensive wedding reception, all of which was paid for with bogus credit cards or bad checks.
Oct. 24, 1983
Gordon is arrested in connection with crimes committed during her wedding and honeymoon scam.
Dec. 7, 1983
Gordon is released from the Pinellas County Jail by mistake after she lies to a judge about her charges.
Dec. 29, 1983
After three weeks on the lam, Gordon turns herself in.
June 29, 1984
Gordon is sentenced to five years in prison on 13 charges for the wedding day caper.
July 4, 1984
Gordon is released by mistake from the Orange County Jail, where she had been awaiting transfer to state prison.
Aug. 28, 1984
After nearly two months on the run, Gordon is taken into custody in California and later extradited to Florida to serve her five-year prison sentence. With credit for gain time, she is released in the fall of 1986.
Feb. 10, 1988
Gordon, now 37, is arrested for the 25th time in her life when Alachua County deputies lodge forgery charges against her.
Feb. 20, 1989
Gordon is sentenced to five years in prison on forgery charges. With credit for gain time, she gets out in June 1992.
Oct. 26, 1992
Just four months after her release from prison, Gordon is sentenced to a year in the Pinellas County Jail for using false information on a driver's license application.
June 27, 1995
Pinellas sheriff's deputies arrest Gordon for the 35th time in her life on charges of fleeing prosecution on numerous fraud and grand theft charges. Gordon is 44 years old at this time.
Dec. 2, 1997
Pinellas detectives find a black book in Gordon's jail cell that is filled with stolen credit card numbers. They discover she has been calling department stores from the jail and charging jewelry and clothing with those stolen numbers, then having the stores ship them to her mother's home.
Dec. 15, 1997
Gordon is sentenced to five years in prison for a number of crimes, including using a stolen identity to buy a $32,000 BMW and nearly $9,000 in other merchandise. She is released in January 2000.
June 5, 2002
Gordon divorces her husband of 18 years, Gregory Buchanan.
June 10, 2002
Just five days after the divorce from Buchanan, Gordon marries Earl Presley Sr., a juvenile detention officer with terminal colon cancer. Presley shifts 25 percent of his annuity to Gordon.
June 25, 2002
For whatever reason, Gordon illegally registers to vote then casts a ballot in the November 2002 election. She is not eligible to vote because she is a felon 25 times over. She later was arrested for voter fraud.
Oct. 19, 2002
Earl Presley Sr. dies and Gordon tries to collect his insurance money. His son believes Gordon married his father for the money and says she got away with thousands of dollars from his father's estate.
Feb. 10, 2004
Gordon tries to get credit through an online application using her own name. When she is declined, she uses the name and personal information of Lillian Gordon of Pembroke Pines to receive approval.
Feb. 11, 2004
Gordon buys nearly $5,000 in jewelry with the stolen identity.
Feb. 12, 2004
Gordon gets a fake driver's license in Lillian Gordon's name and buys a $37,000 Infiniti SUV right off a dealership's showroom floor.
September 2004
Gordon overhears her chiropractor, Dr. Rhonda Schroeder, telling someone at her clinic that her engagement recently ended. Gordon offers to set Schroeder up with her brother, who she says is baseball star Pedro Martinez.
Oct. 4, 2004
Gordon is arrested for the Infiniti and Zales scams.
Jan. 10, 2005
At a Fort Lauderdale hotel, Gordon arranges a date between Schroeder and a man she claims is Pedro Martinez. The man is an imposter, but Schroeder believes it is the baseball player.
Jan. 28, 2005
The real Lillian Gordon writes a letter to State Attorney Bernie McCabe asking that Gordon receive the maximum sentence. McCabe's secretary recognizes Gordon's name from her previous crimes and brings the case to Beverly Andringa, one of McCabe's top assistants.
April 23, 2005
The imposter sends text messages to Schroeder saying he loves her. On this day, he writes: "Many hours have passed since I told you how I love & adore you. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH! I ADORE YOU EVEN MORE!"
June 28, 2005
Gordon convinces Schroeder that her brother wants the chiropractor to buy a house for her. Schroeder buys a $449,000 home and transfers the title to Gordon.
November 2005
The real Pedro Martinez gets married.
Jan. 10, 2006
On the one-year anniversary of their meeting, the imposter sends Schroeder a text message: "Happy Anniversary! I adore my caring doctor. This day will remain special my entire life!"
Feb. 1, 2006
Schroeder has learned about Martinez's marriage. She tells the imposter she doesn't want to be with him anymore. "Gosh! The regrets are increasing daily!" the imposter says to her in a text message. "This cuts like a razor a sharp one! I do understand." The imposter tells Schroeder he married a woman from the Dominican Republic to help her with citizenship.
Feb. 7, 2006
Schroeder tells Martinez they can be together if he gets the marriage annulled. She also is having money problems. The imposter writes her: "I was sure you were your own person, woman. However, it's marvelous to have assurance! I apology to you for all that has happened. I am trying to get your financial problem under control."
Feb. 14, 2006
For Valentine's Day, Schroeder receives a bouquet of flowers from Martinez. A card is signed: "I adore you, Pedro." Investigators later learn the flowers actually were purchased and sent by Gordon.
Feb. 23, 2006
The imposter sends this text to Schroeder: "Ha Ha Ha!!! You told our sister I need to sex you up in order for her mortgage to be two months ahead? I just love it! Call me when you are ready! Take our sis a check! Yes Call me."
March 16, 2006
Gordon is convicted of criminal use of personal information and driver's license fraud for the Infiniti scam despite Schroeder taking the stand on her behalf and providing a false alibi.
May 4, 2006
Schroeder goes to the State Attorney's Office and tells them she has been the victim of a scam by Gordon. Schroeder admits she falsified paperwork to provide Gordon a false alibi during her trial.
May 12, 2006
Schroeder sues Gordon and her longtime paramour, Greg Buchanan. She accuses them of racketeering and theft and demands the return of all the items she gave them.
May 13, 2006
The Martinez imposter is still trying to con Schroeder. He sends a text message that says: "Love!"
May 15, 2006
Gordon is sentenced to 30 years in state prison. She is sent to federal prison first to serve an 18-month sentence for violating probation on previous charges.
August 31, 2006
Buchanan is sentenced to three years in prison for his own crimes, including assuming the identity of a Wisconsin man to buy a new car.
Jan. 24, 2007
The lawsuit filed by Schroeder goes to mediation but reaches an impasse.
March 8, 2007
The bank files a mortgage foreclosure on the house Schroeder bought for Gordon. The federal government has placed a lien on the house seeking more than $200,000 in restitution Gordon owes for previous crimes.
June 30, 2007
Gordon is scheduled for release from federal prison and transfer to state prison, where she will serve until she is about 80 years old.
[Last modified June 23, 2007, 23:50:05]
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by Gloria
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07/25/07 02:15 AM
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This was one of my best friend. I always knew Shirley wanted the best things in life but I never thouught in my wild dreams she would turn out to be a BIG TIME CON ARTIST
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by Annie
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06/25/07 03:48 PM
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I admire Dr. Schroeder's courage; she admits it. I know a doctor, he didn't relized that he was scammed, he still believed that he was trying to help needed people with the monet that he has.
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by Paul
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06/24/07 07:28 PM
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Stupid/greedy people were conned. Moreover, her net was small potatoes when compared to the corporate big BOYS. She was born with the wrong hue. I'm more concerned with the seemingly "honest/upright" citizens under the radar at society high levels.
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by no name
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06/24/07 04:39 PM
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I have been a victim of this woman. After so many problems with my credit report were reported to the st pete police detective, he asked me if I was doing this myself, I stopped trying to get her convicted. My report still has bogus credit info.
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by don
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06/24/07 01:05 PM
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so much for our system she should have had the key thrown away years ago
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News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
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