I grew up as an only child in a supportive household in Marietta, Georgia. My parents were great, always encouraging me to succeed. Early on, I realized I wanted more than a traditional path, so I convinced my parents to let me attend high school online to focus on entrepreneurship. By age 13, I was already finding success as an internet marketer, selling various products online. This early
exposure to business gave me the skills to generate significant income, but I missed out on the typical high school social experience, something I regret.
Despite my parents’ wishes for me to go to college, I found it wasn’t for me and left after a year to focus on my business ventures. I began selling supplements and skincare products, and my business quickly took off. At 20, I moved to Puerto Rico, drawn by the tax incentives. There, I founded a company in 2014, focusing on selling skincare products through a subscription model.
This business grew rapidly, and I partnered with others to set up multiple companies to handle the high volume of transactions.
However, I made some poor decisions to grow faster, including modifying EIN forms to open
additional credit card processing accounts. Although no merchant processors or banks suffered any. actual losses, I later faced legal issues years after I had closed the business in 2017.
In 2019, I was sued for lack of clear website disclosures, and the FBI investigated my business practices. I moved back to Texas, and enrolled at the University of Texas at Arlington to pursue a degree in Biology.
While at UT Arlington, I volunteered extensively, working with terminally ill patients in hospice care and tutoring children in reading from underperforming schools. I took the maximum course load and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2021 with a BS in Biology and achieved a 100th percentile score on the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test), intending to apply to medical
school. However, due to the uncertainty of my legal situation, I pursued a second degree in
Computer Science, graduating in 2022.
I eventually accepted a plea deal and have since been focused on building a career in computer science.
In 2023, I settled my civil case with the FTC, forfeiting nearly $1 million in assets. I am currently. pursuing a Master’s in Artificial Intelligence at UT Austin and plan to enter the tech field as a trained professional. I will be graduating in the days before I report to Beaumont camp thanks to the judge in my case allowing a lengthy delay in the date of my self-surrender. Despite my past
mistakes, I am committed to using my skills and knowledge to build a positive future.
I offer the information above to show that although I pleaded guilty to a federal crime and a judge sentenced me to 15 months, I have a long history of living as a hard-working, contributing citizen.
I regret that I placed myself in the crosshairs of the criminal justice system, and I intend to use my time to make amends for the bad decisions that led me into this predicament.
