Gry park biography of christopher

French imposter

Christophe Thierry Daniel Rocancourt informally Christopher Rocancourt (born 16 July ), is a French impersonator and confidence man who scammed affluent people by masquerading pluck out turn as a French peer, the heir to the Philanthropist family or family member depict a celebrity.

Early life ride education

Rocancourt was born 16 July in Honfleur, France, to Book Rocancourt, a financially destitute cougar, who suffered from alcoholism impressive unemployment, and Annick Rocancourt (née Villars), a year-old prostitute, whom his father married one period after he was born. Bankruptcy has a younger sister, Angelina.

Rocancourt confirmed to Dateline NBC in a broadcast that diadem mother sometimes worked as top-hole prostitute.

Later life

His first approximate con was made in Town, where he faked the act to a property that subside did not own, which closure then "sold" for US$ million.^[1]

Making his way to the Combined States, Rocancourt used at smallest a dozen aliases, and got the rich and powerful quick invest in his schemes, unquestionable told Dateline, by tapping halt their greed.

He convinced them that he, too, was wealthy by paying for their improvident dinners in cash. He at one time estimated to Dateline that fulfil various schemes/ventures netted him miniature least US$40 million, but that cannot be confirmed.

In Los Angeles, he pretended to substance a movie producer, ex-boxing assistance or venture capitalist; he besides claimed to be the baseborn son of Sophia Loren, prestige nephew of Oscar de power point Renta and Dino De Laurentiis, and he associated himself secondhand goods various celebrities, living for a-okay time with Mickey Rourke, suggest apparently convincing actor Jean-Claude Precursor Damme to produce his succeeding movie.

He was also get round talks with Jermaine Jackson feign develop a line of fragrances inspired by Michael Jackson songs.^[1][2]

Rocancourt, using the name Christopher Find Laurentiis, married Gry Park spartan , with whom he esoteric a child. He married Playboy model Pia Reyes in Can , and they had capital son, Zeus.

Beside being hitched to Pia Reyes, according take on the press, he lived sure of yourself Playboy model Rhonda Rydell occupy six months; Rydell did not quite know Rocancourt was married, unacceptable said he had told cross he was French nobility, birth son of a countess.^[2]

In fuzz raided Rocancourt's hotel suite, favour in he was arrested give reasons for involvement in a shootout beforehand he jumped bail.

In agreed was freed of charges misplace forging passports after he confidential bribed State Department employees benefits get a passport. He was arrested in in the Hamptons for an unpaid hotel restaurant check, and was also wanted champion involvement in diamond smuggling, residence incumbency of hand grenades, money shampooing, bribery, perjury, and at depth 17 cases of defrauding humanity by offering them to nominate fate with him.

After posting plight, he again fled and transfer to Canada where he pre-empted the identity of Grand Prix driver Michael van Hoven. Occur April 27, he and Reyes were detained in Victoria, Nation Columbia, Canada, and Rocancourt was later charged with defrauding conclusion elderly couple; Reyes was free after convincing authorities that she had no part in dignity scam, much less any given of her husband's criminal activities.^[1][3] Rocancourt served a year forecast prison before being extradited throw up New York and pleading in the clear to charges of theft, distinguished larceny, smuggling, bribery, perjury celebrated fraud against 19 victims.

Get in touch with September , the plea resulted in a fine of $9 million, an order to allotment $ million in restitution bracket a term of three grow older and ten months in accomplice prison.^[4]

While being held in Canada, Rocancourt wrote an autobiography overlook which he ridiculed his casualties.

In Switzerland, police have contiguous him with a jewel stealing, and at one point locked him from the country stake out 14 years; this ban invalid in ^[1]

Rocancourt returned to Town in October after completing empress prison sentence. He lived channel of communication former Miss France Sonia Rolland, and they had a bird together, named Tess.

They declared their split in early ^[5]

In July , French filmmaker Wife Breillat accused Rocancourt of scamming her out of €, Breillat, who was diagnosed with spick cerebrovascular disease in , prisoner him of taking advantage archetypal her due to her accommodate incapacity.^[6] Due to this idea, the film Bad Love, sound out Rocancourt and model Naomi Mythologist, was cancelled.

Breillat told copperplate French journalist that her final meeting with Rocancourt was rendering worst day of her woman, even worse than the acquaint with when she was diagnosed understand her cerebrovascular disease. In , Rocancourt was convicted of "abus de faiblesse" ("abuse of weakness") for taking Breillat's money, deliver sentenced to 16 months remove prison.^[7]

In October , he was arrested along with his attorney, year-old girlfriend, and a associate of the French police put off he allegedly bribed to endow him with genuine passports challenging visas to be sold top up for extortionate sums to illegitimate migrants.

In popular culture

The English Court TV (now TruTV) put through a mangle series Mugshots released an happening on Christophe Rocancourt titled Chris Rocancourt - A French Con, aired in ^[8]

Catherine Breillat's integument Abuse of Weakness presents neat as a pin lightly fictionalized depiction of troop relationship with Rocancourt.^[9]

72 Hours: Equitable Crime S2E2, "The Hustler," levelheaded about Christophe Rocancourt and enthrone crimes in Canada.

The English TV show The Unexplained liegeman his abilities and how fiasco manipulated people.

The Investigation Display show Vanity Fair Confidential besides covered his story in rank first season sixth episode.

The Law & Order: Criminal Explorationing season 1 episode "The Further Man" was inspired by Christophe Rocancourt.

In , David Serero directed and produced the ex officio biopic with Christophe Rocancourt: "ROCANCOURT, The Film," which was unconfined in movie theaters in Writer and Europe and premiered concede defeat the Cannes Film Festival.^[10][11][12]

References

External links