Conman who swindled $2million from women admits he struggled to keep track 'of who I was'
A conman who swindled $2 million from women he met on dating sites said 'it was tough to keep track of who I was' and shrugged off claims of stolen valor when posing as a fighter pilot, in his first jailhouse interview.
Derek Alldred, 49, met more than two dozen women online, faked his identity with a web of lies, then quietly stole their credit cards, their Social Security numbers and - with some - spent their entire retirement savings.
Over several years, Alldred went by various names and pretended he had an impressive career alternating between a US Navy pilot, professor, defense analyst, attorney, doctor and firefighter to dupe the women out of thousands.
The master of deception has finally spoken out from behind bars about his fraudulent spree in an interview with Dateline.
The many faces of Derek Alldred: Alldred, 49, met more than two dozen women online, faked his identity with a web of lies, then quietly stole their credit cards, their Social Security numbers and - with some - spent their entire retirement savings
Alldred admitted that it was difficult to keep track of which alias he was posing as at any one time, in a clip seen exclusively by DailyMail.com ahead of the show airing on Friday evening.
The show will also hear from some of Alldred's victims, Deputy Sheriff Paul Meskan, and NCIS agents Mike Elkheir and Jeremy Houck.
'It was tough to keep track of who I was,' the felon said in the interview.
He described it as 'overwhelming' trying to keep his many stories straight.
'It's impossible to keep straight. Particularly when I was running from the courts or, you know, running from the United States Marshals,' he said.
'I mean, it was tough to keep track of who I was saying, you know, where I was and what I was doing and who I was. It's overwhelming.'
Alldred went on to shrug off the idea that posing as a military fighter pilot was 'stolen valor', when interviewer Andrea Canning brought up his perhaps most controversial disguise.
Canning pointed out that 'members of the military, obviously don't look kindly on people posing as military officers'.
Over several years, Alldred went by various names and pretended he had an impressive career alternating between a US Navy pilot, professor, defense analyst, attorney, doctor and firefighter to dupe the women out of thousands
In his first interview behind bars, the con artist admitted that 'it was tough to keep track of who I was'
But Alldred arrogantly dismissed the comments as 'a cheap shot question' and said: 'It's not a big part of my case, because it's actually no part of my case.'
'But it opened the door, really, to the federal authorities going after you,' Canning pushed.
Alldred responded: 'Right, I'm not gonna answer it.'
The conman also downplayed the impact he had on his victims who were left penniless, saying he was just a 'horrible boyfriend' and claims he destroyed lives are 'exaggerated'.
'I'm not trying to justify my behavior… I was a horrible boyfriend, absolutely horrible. Destroying someone's life I think is a bit exaggerated,' he told Canning.
The fraudster targeted at least 25 women in California, Hawaii, Minnesota and Nevada, conning them out of thousands before one woman connected the dots and reached out to other victims.
Alldred was sentenced to 24 years in prison in Texas back in August after pleading guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity fraud.
He was also forced to pay $255,000 in restitution, a fraction of the $2 million he swindled out of his victims.
The conman while posing as a military man - perhaps is most controversial disguise. The conman shrugged off the idea that posing as a military fighter pilot was 'stolen valor', and dismissed it as 'a cheap shot question'
He met his victims on online dating sites, targeting at least 25 women in California, Hawaii, Minnesota and Nevada. Pictured are some of his online profiles
Nine of the women who fell for his lies broke their silence last year in the documentary Seduced by Evil, which aired on Oxygen.
The women revealed they all thought they had found their true love with Alldred.
He even made big plans with his victims like moving in together and making wedding plans.
He specifically targeted intelligent and vulnerable women seeking a long-term partner so he could benefit from their money.
Cindi Pardini met Alldred in 2012 through mutual friends on Facebook but would not meet in person until September 2013.
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ShareHe asked to stay at her home, presenting himself as an investment banker hoping to relocate from Hawaii to San Francisco. He scammed her out of $250,000 by hacking into her finances.
Alldred then met Wendy Harvey on a dating website as Derek 'Allred.'
Under this alias, he was an investment banker and bought the Maui agency CEO lavish gifts, including $3,000 diamond earrings.
She began having suspicions about him while doing online searches, those worries were confirmed after Pardini called and revealed that Alldred was using her money to buy Harvey gifts.
Alldred then met Dr. Kimberly Haycraft on Match.com in 2013 after he had left Pardini.
Haycraft owned anti-aging practices in Maui and Minnesota, while Alldred claimed that he was part owner in a financial firm and became her business manager when the two started getting serious.
Nine of the women who fell for his lies broke their silence last year in the documentary Seduced by Evil, which aired on Oxygen, including Linda Dyas (above)
He robbed her of $35,000 in fraudulent checks, $60,000 in fraudulent credit and a $28,000 advance. Haycraft eventually bankrupted her businesses and feared for her life with Alldred.
Next, he claimed to be 'Derek R. Allarad' when meeting Minnesota school teacher JoAnn Venhuizen on Match.com in 2014.
This time, he posed as an international banking lawyer but Venhuizen sensed something was off when they went on a trip to Hawaii to meet his daughter that never showed.
The teacher would soon learn that there was a warrant out for Alldred's arrest but not before he managed to steal $24,000 from her.
Alldred then met Minneapolis IT executive Kimberly Nelson on OurTime.com while dating Dyas, going by the name 'Rich Peterson.' He claimed to be a professor who was volunteering at a homeless shelter and the two dated briefly before breaking up and rekindling the flame in 2016.
She soon learned that he stole $8,000 worth of jewelry, her passport and even her birth certificate. Nelson would soon learn that Alldred was sleeping at that same shelter.
Next, the mastermind met Dorie Watkins, a HR manager from Dallas, on PlentyOfFish in mid-2017.
He claimed to be a Navy jet pilot in the Department of Defense named Rich Tailor.
Watkins became suspicious when he kept cancelling on her, but Alldred had already stolen $17,000 from her before she could act.
The victims: The women (including left, Cindi Pardini; right JoAnn Venhuizen) were charmed by Alldred when they first met him on dating apps and fell for his lies
The victims: He specifically targeted intelligent and vulnerable women seeking a long-term partner so he could benefit from their money (left, Missi Brandt; right Kimberly Haycraft)
She took his fake uniform and badge to her local police.
Alldred was also dating Dallas health care executive Tracie Cooper-Cunningham on PlentyOfFish at the same time as Watkins.
He went by 'Rich Tailor' on a different profile and told her he was a 'semi-retired' political science professor who served in the Navy.
When she finally tried to end their fling after a month and a half, she received a call from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and participated in a sting to help detain him.
The net began to close in on Alldred in spring 2016 when he met former flight attendant Missi Brandt.
Alldred met her under the alias Richie Peterson on dating website OurTime.com and lied that he completed eight tours in Afghanistan, even donning a full uniform when he spent time with Brandt and her daughters.
One day when he was in the shower, she went through his wallet and found a Social Security card with his real name and two credit cards belonging to another woman - Linda Dyas.
The victims: Alldred has downplayed the impact on his victims who were left penniless, saying he was just a 'horrible boyfriend' and that claims he destroyed lives are 'exaggerated' (left, Dorie Watkins; right Tracie Cooper-Cunningham)
The victims: Cindi Pardini of San Francisco rallied the victims up to bring Alldred to justice, according to the US Attorney's Office in Texas, and nine of them spoke at Alldred's sentencing (left, Kimberly Nelson; right Wendy Harvey)
Brandt investigated Alldred and immediately contacted Dyas - who was living with the fugitive at the time - on Facebook Messenger.
'He was still in my house at the time. I was upstairs in my bedroom when I opened this message,' Dyas, a nuclear scientist based in Minnesota told Fox.
She immediately went to go check on her gun which she kept in the house and found it missing.
'He had used it a time or two at the shooting range. I found out later that he had carried it with him at times. I had told him not to use it. I planned to change the safe lock, and I didn't,' she said.
'There I was upstairs in my bedroom scared out of my wits because I just saw this guy's mugshot,' she added.
Dyas added there were warning signs.
'His military career didn't really match up. But I didn't question it that much. He had told me he was a reservist. I didn't really know anything about that. I didn't ask the questions I probably should have. But I just never pushed the issue,' she said.
Alldred was sentenced to 24 years in prison in Texas back in August
Later that same day Alldred complained of a pain and said he needed to go to the emergency room.
Dyas dropped him off then called the cops on her way home. By the time she called Brandt to tell her the news, Alldred was already in custody.
Alldred stole all of Dyas' emergency credit cards, ordered new cards in her name and maxed them out on lavish dinners and trips to Hawaii with other women.
He also drained her retirement savings and used the money to purchase a boat.
Dyas and Brandt then launched their own investigation and met other women who had also been conned by Alldred.
'This defendant left a trail of tears, emotional devastation, and financial ruin behind him,' US Attorney Joseph Brown said at his sentencing.
Cindi Pardini of San Francisco rallied the victims up to bring Alldred to justice, according to the US Attorney's Office in Texas, and nine of them spoke at Alldred's sentencing.
Dateline airs on Friday.
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