the Pseduo doctor: Michael John Sabel/Sable/Zabel? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Blackout · 07-30-2010, 03:08 AM

anyone have more information on this guy?? can't seem to find any

McBevis · 07-30-2010, 09:45 PM

His name was spelled "Szabo." He was apprehended sometime shortly after his UM segment was shown. I believe he served some time in prison. I'm not sure what has become of him over the years, but according to the DOB shown in his mugshot, he would now be 64, so there's a fairly good chance that he's still around somewhere, hopefully staying out of trouble.

RobinW · 07-31-2010, 01:52 AM

Ah, this is the guy they dubbed "Dr. Fraud", isn't it? This case provided one of the funniest moments from any UM segment when Szabo takes the rare coins and promises to be right back with the money for them... and then they cut to this long silent take of the victim sitting around awkwardly while he slowly realizes: "Uh... he's not coming back, is he?"

.

McBevis · 07-31-2010, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinW

Ah, this is the guy they dubbed "Dr. Fraud", isn't it? This case provided one of the funniest moments from any UM segment when Szabo takes the rare coins and promises to be right back with the money for them... and then they cut to this long silent take of the victim sitting around awkwardly while he slowly realizes: "Uh... he's not coming back, is he?"

.

Yeah, that's the guy, and I also thought it was funny when, after he resurfaced in another city, Robert Stack made note of the fact that he was overweight.

Kyle416 · 06-27-2012, 07:04 PM

From Wikipedia:

Michael "Mike" John Sabo is an American consultant and speaker on identity theft and fraud in the business sector. He is currently Executive Director of Prison Consultants of America, a principal resource for individuals charged with white-collar crime.

Before his reformation, Sabo was best-known for his history as a check, stocks and bonds forger, a master impostor, and as an escaped fugitive from federal custody. He became notorious in the 1960s and throughout the 1990s for successfully forging bank and government checks, as well as the forgery of stock and bond certificates. Sabo obtained executive status for certain blue chip companies, made counterfeit payroll checks, scammed numerous major hotel chains, and also obtained gold coins fraudulently. He stole over $10 million throughout the course of his criminal career.

The FBI and Interpol have confirmed over 100 false identities that Sabo used throughout his white-collar crime spree. Sabo impersonated airline pilots with six different carriers, medical doctors, PhDs, loan officers, an IRS agent,[1] and once hired 300 people for a one-day computer scam in Phoenix, AZ. Just six weeks after escaping from a federal prison, he was hired as a deputy sheriff while on the run from the FBI. Sabo's FBI file suggests he was associated with the Lucchese crime family, through which he laundered stolen goods such as diamonds and furs.

To make the feature film Catch Me If You Can, director Steven Spielberg petitioned Sabo in hopes of basing the plot on his life story.[2] However, Sabo could not comply and sell the rights to his story because he was wanted by law enforcement officials across the United States. Spielberg then opted to use Frank Abagnale as the primary character in the story. Sabo was also featured on the national television program, Unsolved Mysteries, where he impersonated a doctor.

By 1992, Sabo had been convicted of bank fraud, forgery of stocks and bonds, grand larceny, and identity theft, both in federal and state courts.[3] He has served a total of 12 years in federal and state prisons.

Blackout · 07-05-2012, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinW

Ah, this is the guy they dubbed "Dr. Fraud", isn't it? This case provided one of the funniest moments from any UM segment when Szabo takes the rare coins and promises to be right back with the money for them... and then they cut to this long silent take of the victim sitting around awkwardly while he slowly realizes: "Uh... he's not coming back, is he?"

.

haha

Awsi Dooger · 02-01-2014, 08:18 PM

This case was covered last night in the new Investigation Discovery program, "Impostors."

Originally it was scheduled to air on February 7th but they switched the order for some reason.

I recognized it immediately as the Unsolved Mysteries case although the actor was not nearly as large or plump. They focused on the string of thefts in Albany in 1989, including interviews with the actual rug dealer and coin dealer who were conned. I appreciated the tall blonde bespectacled actress they chose to portray the unknowing secretary.

A local law enforcement official became obsessed with the case and began tracking the con man, including uncovering his activity in Cincinnati. He even tried to guess the next location, focusing on doctor fraud's obsession with golf and therefore where he might strike next, given climate realities.

I had no idea the con man was so prolific. State after state. In his early years he impersonated pilots. He escaped from prison and was already wanted by the FBI in the late '70s before becoming smitten with an airline counter employee. That prompted him to go straight for several years until she was diagnosed with breast cancer and the bills piled up. Supposedly he returned to fraud to support her and the kids. But according to the program she might have been the one to turn him in, after seeing the Unsolved Mysteries segment. Unsolved Mysteries was spotlighted several times, although the early months after the segment aired apparently produced few tips.

A reporter from Albany interviewed Sabo in the early '90s. He blamed his career path on lack of support from his father, who refused to watch high school football games in which the kid apparently starred. That reporter sounded overly sympathetic until she caught herself late in the segment.

An amusing section was when Sabo decided to turn himself in and confess, before changing his mind at the counter of a prison and saying he was there to apply for a job. He actually got the job before quitting within days. I have no idea if that was true to life but it was effective television.

Sabo is a free man and still a consultant, as indicated in an earlier post in this thread. I'm not sure if this is the longest or most apropos thread on the segment but it's the one I found within a quick search.

Blackout · 10-13-2014, 12:07 AM

just found this one on an old VHS with just enough time left to tape the last 2 Step By Step episodes on the Hub

glad to see it again

07-30-2010, 03:08 AM	#1
Blackout Sart Bimpson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 13, 2003 Location: where the sun rises Posts: 2,240	the Pseduo doctor: Michael John Sabel/Sable/Zabel? anyone have more information on this guy?? can't seem to find any
	__________________ Destroy your local flock cameras

07-30-2010, 09:45 PM	#2
McBevis Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 09, 2010 Location: Barrington, New Jersey Posts: 415	His name was spelled "Szabo." He was apprehended sometime shortly after his UM segment was shown. I believe he served some time in prison. I'm not sure what has become of him over the years, but according to the DOB shown in his mugshot, he would now be 64, so there's a fairly good chance that he's still around somewhere, hopefully staying out of trouble.

07-31-2010, 01:52 AM	#3
RobinW Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2010 Posts: 1,874	Ah, this is the guy they dubbed "Dr. Fraud", isn't it? This case provided one of the funniest moments from any UM segment when Szabo takes the rare coins and promises to be right back with the money for them... and then they cut to this long silent take of the victim sitting around awkwardly while he slowly realizes: "Uh... he's not coming back, is he?" .

06-27-2012, 07:04 PM	#5
Kyle416 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 13, 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 30	From Wikipedia: Michael "Mike" John Sabo is an American consultant and speaker on identity theft and fraud in the business sector. He is currently Executive Director of Prison Consultants of America, a principal resource for individuals charged with white-collar crime. Before his reformation, Sabo was best-known for his history as a check, stocks and bonds forger, a master impostor, and as an escaped fugitive from federal custody. He became notorious in the 1960s and throughout the 1990s for successfully forging bank and government checks, as well as the forgery of stock and bond certificates. Sabo obtained executive status for certain blue chip companies, made counterfeit payroll checks, scammed numerous major hotel chains, and also obtained gold coins fraudulently. He stole over $10 million throughout the course of his criminal career. The FBI and Interpol have confirmed over 100 false identities that Sabo used throughout his white-collar crime spree. Sabo impersonated airline pilots with six different carriers, medical doctors, PhDs, loan officers, an IRS agent,[1] and once hired 300 people for a one-day computer scam in Phoenix, AZ. Just six weeks after escaping from a federal prison, he was hired as a deputy sheriff while on the run from the FBI. Sabo's FBI file suggests he was associated with the Lucchese crime family, through which he laundered stolen goods such as diamonds and furs. To make the feature film Catch Me If You Can, director Steven Spielberg petitioned Sabo in hopes of basing the plot on his life story.[2] However, Sabo could not comply and sell the rights to his story because he was wanted by law enforcement officials across the United States. Spielberg then opted to use Frank Abagnale as the primary character in the story. Sabo was also featured on the national television program, Unsolved Mysteries, where he impersonated a doctor. By 1992, Sabo had been convicted of bank fraud, forgery of stocks and bonds, grand larceny, and identity theft, both in federal and state courts.[3] He has served a total of 12 years in federal and state prisons.

02-01-2014, 08:18 PM	#7
Awsi Dooger Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 18, 2003 Location: Miami Posts: 1,537	This case was covered last night in the new Investigation Discovery program, "Impostors." Originally it was scheduled to air on February 7th but they switched the order for some reason. I recognized it immediately as the Unsolved Mysteries case although the actor was not nearly as large or plump. They focused on the string of thefts in Albany in 1989, including interviews with the actual rug dealer and coin dealer who were conned. I appreciated the tall blonde bespectacled actress they chose to portray the unknowing secretary. A local law enforcement official became obsessed with the case and began tracking the con man, including uncovering his activity in Cincinnati. He even tried to guess the next location, focusing on doctor fraud's obsession with golf and therefore where he might strike next, given climate realities. I had no idea the con man was so prolific. State after state. In his early years he impersonated pilots. He escaped from prison and was already wanted by the FBI in the late '70s before becoming smitten with an airline counter employee. That prompted him to go straight for several years until she was diagnosed with breast cancer and the bills piled up. Supposedly he returned to fraud to support her and the kids. But according to the program she might have been the one to turn him in, after seeing the Unsolved Mysteries segment. Unsolved Mysteries was spotlighted several times, although the early months after the segment aired apparently produced few tips. A reporter from Albany interviewed Sabo in the early '90s. He blamed his career path on lack of support from his father, who refused to watch high school football games in which the kid apparently starred. That reporter sounded overly sympathetic until she caught herself late in the segment. An amusing section was when Sabo decided to turn himself in and confess, before changing his mind at the counter of a prison and saying he was there to apply for a job. He actually got the job before quitting within days. I have no idea if that was true to life but it was effective television. Sabo is a free man and still a consultant, as indicated in an earlier post in this thread. I'm not sure if this is the longest or most apropos thread on the segment but it's the one I found within a quick search.

10-13-2014, 12:07 AM	#8
Blackout Sart Bimpson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 13, 2003 Location: where the sun rises Posts: 2,240	just found this one on an old VHS with just enough time left to tape the last 2 Step By Step episodes on the Hub glad to see it again