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| Randy Rush, photo by Rebecca Blissett Photography |
Q:
Why did you decide to write this book about your experiences after winning the
lottery?
So
many people have asked me what it’s like to win the $50 million lottery and I
wanted to capture the rocket-ride journey for them. But I also wanted to expose
the greed that emerges and share my experiences of being conned and so
personally betrayed by someone I trusted and loved.
I
am determined to raise awareness about the devastating impact of white-collar
crime and expose these criminals to the world so they can’t prey on anyone
else.
Q:
Did you need to do any research to write the book, and if so, did you learn
anything especially surprising?
A:
I already had extensive court documents detailing the millions of dollars in
fraud committed against me by Jeremy Crawford and the rest of the Crawford
gang.
I
also knew that there were others who had been targeted by the Crawfords but I
was unaware of the scope and magnitude of their crimes until I started hearing
from more and more Crawford victims and hired a researcher to dig into their
claims and Jeremy’s past.
I
was blown away by what we discovered. We traced Jeremy and Amy Crawford’s
frauds back more than 20 years and found that they spanned virtually every
business sector.
I
also discovered that Jeremy’s parents, Dave and Shirley Crawford, had played an
active role in their crimes. The Crawfords had scammed more than a hundred
people and devastated them both financially and emotionally.
I
couldn’t believe that they weren’t rotting away behind bars. They are serial
con artists, yet the laws are so lax when it comes to white-collar crime that
they have been free to continue preying on people and destroying their lives.
Q:
What do you hope readers take away from your story?
A:
The takeaway is hope. No matter the highs or lows you experience, there is hope
at the end of the day. It doesn’t matter how many times you are knocked down,
just stand back up and keep going.
The
other takeaway comes down to our responsibility to act when we see injustice.
In
my case, I feel like it's my duty to take on white-collar crime and expose
criminals like the Crawfords to the world so they can’t prey on others. There
are so many injustices that need to be addressed and if we all stand up and do
our part, we can right these wrongs and make the world a better place.
Q:
What impact did your experiences have on you, and was it difficult to write
about them?
A:
Writing about my experiences was definitely hard. It opened some old wounds and
triggered some old ways of thinking. It was emotionally draining at times but
it was also very therapeutic to get it out from the inside. It made me stop and
think of things I hadn’t thought about from childhood.
All
in all, it was powerful to reflect on my life journey. It made me realize that
the hard times work hand in hand with the positive times, and that I couldn’t
have had one without the other. The tough times have helped shape me and helped
me grow as a person and I am very happy with who I am as a result.
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
Through Rantanna Media (www.rantannamedia.com), my new publishing and
production company, I'm developing more stories that spotlight white-collar
crime and other social injustices and am exploring media partnerships to bring
these stories to film. I'm also using my platform to continue raising awareness
about white-collar crime and its devastating impact.
In
addition, I’m continuing my philanthropic work in Africa — supporting various
education initiatives to ensure the continent’s most vulnerable children have
access to a world-class education.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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