A man who posed as an oil baron's son to hire 17 private jets, rent $30,000-a-night luxury homes and buy five cars has been caught after failing to pay $76,000 to a jet firm.Nicholas Bryant, 23, stole an estimated $1.5million and scammed at least 50 people in the elaborate scheme that involved booking goods and services and then sending fake payments through online payment platforms.
On November 9 Bryant pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and is now awaiting sentencing, where he faces up to 20 years in prison.
In his first time speaking out about his swindling spree, Bryant told The Daily Beast via text messages and a phone call from Lubbock County Detention Center the allegations against him 'are pretty much true.'
'I took private jets and stayed at the most expensive Airbnbs and hotels. Went deep sea fishing and toured everything that was possible,' he said noting that he had a lot of remorse over his actions.
'I bought and drove five different high-end cars. By far my most favorite trip was to [Turks] and Caicos.
'I spent two weeks on the island from fishing to sailing yachts. I stayed in a $30,000-a-night house. It was amazing.'
Social media posts from the time depicted Bryant riding private jets stocked with vodka, enjoying steak dinners on yachts, and lounging in five-star hotel rooms.
The 26-year-old has admitted that between 2020 and 2021, he would use online platforms like QuickBooks to send payment confirmations without ever intending to pay up.
It would take days, however, before vendors and businesses would learn that Bryant had canceled that transaction before the money was sent through.