>>>
>>> HE
>>> HE WAS A WHEELING AND DEALING CARR MOGUL WHO MADE
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
AND LOST IT ALL.
NOT JUST AS MONEY, THAT IS
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM. DENNY HECKER SPENT THE LAST 7
1/2 YEARS IN PRISON, TONIGHT,
HE HAS A FREE MAN AND SOUGHT
DOWN WITH RENA SARIGIANOPOULOS
TO TALK ABOUT IS FREEDOM.
>> Reporter: IT WAS 2008, DENNY
HECKERT WAS AS BIG AS HE EVER
WAS IN THIS TOWN AND THE
BORDERS OF MINNESOTA.
THAT WAS ABOUT TO CHANGE.
>> THE ECONOMY HAD SLOWED DOWN,
GM WAS ON THE VERGE OF
BANKRUPTCY, CHRYSLER WAS IN
BANKRUPTCY AND CAR SALES WERE
OFF A LOT.
>> Reporter: HIS EMPIRE WAS
COMING DOWN, HE CALLED AND $700
MILLION IN LOANS AND THE FIRES
BECAME TOO BIG AND NUMEROUS TO
PUT OUT.
PUT OUT.
PUT OUT. >> DURING THIS TIME, I DEVELOPED
A VICODIN PROBLEM, IT STARTED
WITH HURTING MY KNEE, I WAS
TAKING 10-15 A DAY AND HAVING
INTEREST IN BARS DOWNTOWN TURN
INTO AN ALCOHOL PROBLEM.
WITH THE THOUGHT OF HAVING THIS
PRESSURE, NO WAY KNOWING HOW TO
GET OUT AND BEING INFLUENCED BY
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, I MADE POOR
CHOICES.
CHOICES.
CHOICES. >> Reporter: TRAN39 ROLLED HIS
RANGE ROVER END OVER END AND
THINGS WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE,
HE FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY, HIS
PERSONAL POSSESSIONS AUCTIONED
OFF TO PAY HIS DEBTS, HE
PLEADED GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF
BANKRUPTCY FRAUD.
BANKRUPTCY FRAUD. >> I CAN SAY IT WAS NOT ALL THE
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, IT WAS SOME
BAD CHOICES BY ME.
>> Reporter: PEOPLE WATCHING
WONDER IF YOU FEEL A SENSE OF
REMORSE.
REMORSE.
REMORSE. >> YES, I DO.
WE HAVE TO PUT THIS IN
PERSPECTIVE, THIS HAPPENED IN
THE MIDDLE OF BERNIE MADE OFF,
I MERGED INTO TRAFFIC THAT WAS
REALLY BAD, MY VICTIMS WERE
CHRYSLER AND A COUPLE OTHER
LENDERS, THERE WERE NOT 200
PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS LOSING
THEIR LIFE SAVINGS.
>> Reporter: DON'T YOU FEEL
LIKE PEOPLE WATCHING THIS WANT
TO HEAR YOU SAY I'M SO SORRY?
>> YEAH, I AM SORRY FOR THE
PEOPLE AFFECTED.
PEOPLE AFFECTED. I THINK MOST OF THE PEOPLE KNOW
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> Reporter: FOR HIS PART,
DENNY HECKER WAS SENTENCED TO
10 YEARS IN PRISON, HE SERVED
7.5.
7.5.
7.5. >>
7.5. >> YOU MOVED EIGHT TIMES.
>> YEAH, I DREW A LOT OF PRESS
ON THAT.
ON THAT.
ON THAT. TODAY, I THINK IT'S A BLESSING,
I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT
SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND
SURROUNDINGS.
SURROUNDINGS. MY BACKGROUND, NUMBER OF
CULTURES AND PEOPLE WITH
DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES REALLY HAS
EXPANDED.
EXPANDED.
EXPANDED. >> Reporter: IF YOU THINK HE
WAS LIVING THE COUNTRY CLUB
LIFESTYLE, IN SOME CASES HE
WAS, NOT EVERY STOP ON HIS
PRISON TOUR WAS EASY.
>> WHEN I GOT TO PENNSYLVANIA,
SHACKLE AND CHAINED GETTING OFF
THE BUS, THE PLACE LOOKED LIKE
SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, A SORT
YOU OUT RIGHT AWAY BY WHAT GANG
YOU WILL BE WITH.
THEY SEARCHING FOR TATTOOS
FIRST, I'M NOT A TATTOO GUY.
I WENT FROM THERE TO DENVER.
DENVER IS CAMP.
AT DENVER, THE SHERIFF OF
ORANGE COUNTY, THE ENRON GUYS
WERE AROUND, THERE WERE WHITE-
COLLAR PEOPLE.
COLLAR PEOPLE. >> Reporter: YOU TAUGHT CLASSES
WHILE IN THEIR?
>> I HAD FUN TEACHING, I DID
BUSINESS CLASSES.
BUSINESS CLASSES. I WAS THE TENNIS COACH FOR TWO
YEARS IN DENVER.
IT KILLED SOMETIME.
>> Reporter: RELEASED FIRST TO
A HALFWAY HOUSE, AND NOW
TOTALLY FREE, DENNY HECKER
MOVES INTO HIS OLD LIFE.
PARTS OF IT.
>> HOW IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH YOUR CHILDREN LIKE THE
>> IT IS REALLY GOOD, I SPENT
THE WEEKEND WITH MY SON AND WE
HAD A MARVELOUS TIME.
SOME OF THE THINGS HE MISSED IN
HIS LIFE, HAVING A MALE ADULT
IN HIS LIFE ON SOME THINGS, WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH UP ON.
>> Reporter: ARE THEY ANGRY, AT
THE SYSTEM OR YOU?
>> I THINK IN THE BEGINNING, MY
SON AND DAUGHTER, WE HAVE RICH
KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL WITH OTHER
RICH KIDS, SOMETHING HAPPENS TO
THEIR DAD, THE KIDS AREN'T SO
MEAN BUT THAT PARENTS ARE.
THE PARENTS PASSED THROUGH THE
KIDS, ALL OF A SUDDEN, MY KIDS
ARE WEARING ON MY DRAMA, THAT
WAS THE HARDEST PART FOR THEM.
>> Reporter: HE DOES NOT SAY
WHERE HE LIVES NOW, ADMITS TO
HAVING HELP FROM FRIENDS SINCE
BEING RELEASED.
BEING RELEASED. AT 66, HE DOES NOT PLAN TO SELL
CARS, HE IS NOT RETIRED.
>> Reporter: DO YOU NEED TO
WORK FOR FINANCES RIGHT NOW?
>> I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH, I
HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY, I HAVE
LITTLE OR NO OVERHEAD.
I DON'T HAVE A POSITIVE PEOPLE
DEMANDING MONEY OVER TIME.
>> Reporter: WHAT HE DOES HAVE
HIS RESTITUTION, $28 MILLION HE
SAYS HE STILL OWES HIS
CREDITORS.
CREDITORS. >> FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE
MONEY COMING, I'M SURE THEY
WILL BE MY CHEERLEADER FOR
DOING WELL, BECAUSE A BETTER
IDEA, THE BETTER THEY WILL BE.
>> Reporter: HOW WILL HE MAKE
MONEY XE HECKER IS WORKING
WITH A PUBLISHER ON A NEW BOOK
AND CONSULTING WITH BUSINESSES
IN THE OTTER DEALER INDUSTRY.
WHAT ABOUT THE PUBLIC SIDE?
THE PITCH, LOCAL CELEBRITY,
HAVE WE SEEN THE LAST OF HIM?
>> I HAVE PAID MY DUES, I HAVE
NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF, I PUT
THAT BEHIND ME.
IF PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO LIKE ME
OR HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME,
THAT'S THEIR CHOICE.
I CAN DO THE RIGHT THING EVERY
DAY AND WORRY ABOUT TAKING KARE
OF MY FAMILY , DO WHAT I HAVE
TO DO.
TO DO.
TO DO. >>
TO DO. >> HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HIS
HEALTH, SINCE HE WAS RELEASED,
HE HAD SKIN CANCER AND A MILD
HEART ATTACK, HE HAS BEEN
DEALING WITH THAT AS WELL.
HE HOPES TO BE ABLE TO GIVE
BACK TO KIDS, SOMETHING HE SAID
HE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT BEFORE
PRISON AND HOPES HE CAN KEEP
DOING THAT TOO.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR DENNY
HECKER, WE HAVE A FACEBOOK LIVE
TOMORROW AT 8:30 AM IN THE
STUDIO WITH HIM.
HE WILL BE HERE WITH ME.
>> I THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS, YOU ASKED GREAT
QUESTIONS, VERY INSIGHTFUL.
IT'S INTERESTING, HE IS TRYING
TO FIND THE SILVER LINING, I
DON'T HAVE THAT ANYMORE, I
DON'T HAVE HOMES TO OWN OR
PEOPLE ASKING ME FOR MONEY, HE
IS GENERALLY STARTING OVER AT
66 YEARS OLD.
>> HE IS, EXCEPT FOR THE
RESTITUTION COMING OUT IN TINY
INCREMENTS FOR THE REST OF HIS
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. IT
LIFE. IT WILL