Alex Dee
This is my biography. My intention was for it to be accurate and genuine more than anything else. It took lots of time to reflect on over the years to get to this point. I appreciate you taking the time to read this.
Background and early childhood years. (1974-2002)
I was born in Tehran, Iran in 1974. I am the youngest of 3 sons. My oldest brother, Sean, came to the U.S. on a student visa when he was 13. When the war struck between Iran and Iraq in 1982, my middle brother, Samee, was 15 and about to get drafted into the war. This war was being fought between two crazy governments and for all the wrong reasons. My mom was seeing many of her friend’s sons killed who were only teenagers for a war they did not believe in. So my mom, Samee, and I escaped from Iran to go to Germany to attain a visa that would have us eventually arrive in the US. The escape itself involved having to cross the border to Pakistan on foot for 20 miles. My mom had to use what little money we had to pay the smugglers and bribe the border guards at each stop to let us through. If we were caught, we would be returned and killed. I was eight then and remember being scared despite not knowing the full ramifications of what would happen if we got caught. Looking back now, I realize just how brave my mom was in deciding to risk our lives to provide a better opportunity for us.
(Note: My dad stayed behind to manage our affairs and would come to the U.S. a few years later but then return to Iran, where he felt more comfortable, to live out the rest of his life. I won’t spend much time here talking about my dad other than stating the following: He was a loving dad. But he abused my mom physically and is an alcoholic. All three of us got our alcohol substance abuse from him and have worked through counseling and AA to treat it where, while we struggle with alcohol, it does not run our lives anymore.)
Once we arrived in the U.S. in Fremont, CA, we truly didn’t want to take anything for granted. We saw opportunity wherever we turned. My mom, who came from a country where women had little rights, could now have a career. She got a job as an accountant and worked toward that path. She worked with the Salvation Army and retired as an accountant 17 years later.
Within a year of living in the US, we moved to Dallas, TX, because many of our cousins were there. They had started a restaurant business. Sean and Samee both worked there to help support our family and pay for our living. Samee has been in the restaurant industry for over 35 years and is now a restaurant owner in Rockwall, TX. Because of his background, he gives back to his community and helps support natural disaster victims and local efforts for the church.
Sean and I went to college together. He became a teacher and has worked for the same high school for over 27 years. He is a beloved soccer coach and has been voted teacher of the year many times. We both paid our own way through college while working. Despite different career paths, life has taught us the value of a hard work ethic and independence.
I graduated with a bachelor’s in history and political science. The goal was to go to law school, and I was able to get accepted to Texas Wesleyan in Fort Worth, TX. I liked the law, but the idea was to become the breadwinner to help support my family financially and eventually retire my mom. I put a lot of pressure on myself to make this happen. When law school did not work out after the first year, I shifted my focus to computer programming. This taught me how to think logically and break things down step by step when it comes to solving problems. Plugging into that hard work ethic, I again worked my way, waiting tables through school until I graduated with my master’s in software engineering in 2002.
Upon graduating, I decided to start living the American dream by getting a job and having financial security. But there were no jobs in my field then, coming off 9/11 and the economic turndown. This had me look at things outside my major. After reading a few books and having some opportunities presented to me, I decided to pursue entrepreneurial avenues.
Entrepreneurial Stint (2002-2018)
Looking back now, it’s easy to reflect and see the mistakes I made back then. But it was not as obvious at the time. That said, from 2002 to 2018, I spent most of my life chasing money. I wanted to support my family and help repay them for all the sacrifices they had made. I spent this time learning as much as I could about business. Being successful and achieving status was the main goal. And I made money my God.
This led me to make decisions prioritizing my own outcome over the success and results of my clients. It was not until the civil case that preceded the criminal case that I realized that I was no longer who I wanted to be. The ego narcissist who wanted to control things and do whatever he had to make things happen was no longer going to be the person who ran my life.
The biggest positive during this period of my life was meeting my wife, Asrin, in 2014. This was the first part of the foundation, along with the civil case, that led me to make this major shift in my identity.
The Transformation (2018-2023)
From the outset of the civil case, I took a course from Mind Valley, an online education resource, on building a life based on values. After completing the course, I decided to lay the entire foundation of my life behind two values: 1. Bringing value to the world, and 2. Doing no harm. Moving forward, every decision I would make would be based on these two values.
We also wanted to have children. Since Asrin’s family is from Vancouver, BC, we decided to move to Canada, where we would have support once we had kids. Asrin went on to practice law with legal aid, helping indigent women who arrived in Canada know their rights and leave abused relationships. This was something that resonated with me as well due to my own personal experience and my mom being physically abused by my dad. So I contributed to her business wherever I could.
I returned to using my software engineering degree by consulting businesses on their processes and making them more efficient. The best part of what I did was serving others humbly with little to no recognition. I think this was God’s way of humbling me and showing me that I can serve more people if I don’t care who gets the credit for it.
After not being able to get pregnant and 18 months of IVF, we were able to conceive not one but two beautiful children, one boy, Ari, and one girl, Rumi.
We spent time serving others. We helped new immigrants from Ukraine find employment when they came there as refugees from the war. Asrin comes from a family of 10 kids, eight boys and two girls. Because of her immigration law experience, we were able to help most of her siblings immigrate to Canada and make her mom’s dream come true—to be surrounded by all her kids in a country that’s free and has opportunities.
Our lives were peaceful and had meaning.
At the end of 2023, Asrin was 8 months pregnant, and we really felt blessed; our lives seemed too good to be true. And that’s when things were about to change.
2024 – the Year of Surrender
On Jan 9th, 2024, with the birth of my twins scheduled within the next 48 hours, I made a customary run across the border, which this time was to pick up baby shower presents. I was then informed I had a criminal charge against me, of which I was unaware. Right then, I knew our lives would never be the same. After doing an initial hearing in Seattle, I had to get transported to Denver, where this case resided for my pre-trial hearing. The key was that there was no set time on how long the transport would take. So after Samee helped me retain an attorney, I was stuck at a detention center waiting to be transported and at the mercy of the Marshall’s schedule. I figured I would make good use of this time by reading the New Testament from beginning to end. The fact that there were no distractions like work or other obligations really allowed me to get deep into the Word, and I felt God’s presence with me. While I was a practicing Christian, I never had a personal relationship with Jesus. During this time, I felt the Lord calling on my heart to serve others there. So I did. Whether it was sharing what little I had with anyone new who would come into our unit or having conversations of encouragement and hope with those who had been there longer, I did what I could, and it seemed to have a positive effect. Within a short time, I started a bible study with two other inmates. This grew, and we started having Sunday services. The chaplain told us it was the first time in 3 years that they had had services in this unit. I talked to the chaplain a few months later after I left, and he informed me they were still having services, and they have over a dozen participants on the regular each week. It felt good to start something that brought value, and God used me to create something good during my interim there. This showed me despite this being a very challenging time, God could still use me for good.
Upon getting released for bond, I had to return to Dallas where my roots are from. I moved back in with my mom and Asrin, and the twins moved from Canada to join me. I had not seen my kids being born and missed their first 40 days. This is what I regretted the most. But I felt God was molding me into someone who would have a closer relationship with him. In the bible, Jesus often said, let him who has ears hear. Because of my circumstances, I was listening deeply, and it allowed me to build a deep relationship with Jesus.
When I prayed to God about what I could do to serve him, the only answer I heard was: “read my word.” So I did. I started with the Old Testament and worked my way through it.
I also found a local church and plugged into the men’s weekly Bible study. This was a great place to go deeper into my faith while having an outlet to serve others in my community. Asrin also prayed for a closer relationship with God. She started attending the Sunday services, and listening to sermons really helped strengthen her faith. By the end of 2024, both Asrin and I were baptized with renewed faith and conviction to serve God and live according to the book.
I shared my testimony with a few of the members from the bible study, and before long, we had many members who were getting baptized. As the year progressed during 2024, while waiting in pre-trial for sentencing in December, I realized there was not much in my control. So, I focused on what I could do, which was to serve my community and spend time with my kids.
Ari and Rumi have, without a doubt, been the biggest blessing of my life. I always wanted to be a dad. Now that I have experienced it, I have to say it’s quite surreal. I, along with my mom, took care of the kids while Asrin had a chance to work. I also helped my wife with improving the processes of her business. I started with her client list, where she could track and update their status. Then, I set up a process for her to interview and hire administrative help. Due to these improvements, she served more legal aide clients than ever before.
The story of coming back to Dallas has felt similar to the prodigal son returning home. Samee and Sean, along with their wives, are here, and we’re blessed to have so much family support. The kids love weekly visits from their aunts and uncles and are now able to see their grandmother every day. This has also led my mom to have a renewed purpose for her life. When her husband passed away in 2021, we helped move her from California to Dallas to be close to family, but she was ready to be with the Lord. With the caretaking of Ari and Rumi, she feels needed and is able to get so much love from the kids that she’s now talking about being there for their graduation and weddings twenty-plus years from now.
Sentencing and Moving Forward (2025)
On December 16th, I was sentenced to 36 months by Judge Sweeney. While it was not the home confinement, we requested so I could be at home to help with the twins and start paying restitution as soon as possible, she did come in at the lowest end of the sentencing guidelines, which I am extremely grateful.
While I’m uncertain of what exactly will unfold as I start my sentence, I do know I will continue to operate with the same two values that have made me who I am today: 1. Create value in the camp, and 2. Do no harm.
2024 was a year of surrender, during which I gave up the things I could not control to God, and he answered back each time with grace.
I’ve had a great opportunity to serve a lot of different people, from those who were in the unit during my transport to those in my community with my church effort. For the last five years, we have supported the ministry and many nonprofit organizations. So I look forward to seeing what I can do to help the facility and its members once my sentence begins. Whether it’s contributing to bible study or teaching curriculum that the camp may need for inmates to get credits, I will do what I can with the gifts that God has given me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my biography. Hopefully, it gives you a glimpse into my life story and who I am today.
May God bless you.
