Homeless Millionaires These Homeless Millionaires
are Tracii and Derrell Hutsona. Greed and influence were the two toxic ingredients
that turned their criminal activity into a millionaire's life of luxury. They were
a married couple who enjoyed the finer things in life and documented everything
through their Youtube channel. The Hutsona's offered a behind-the-scenes look at their
lifestyle as a millionaire power couple. They relished in the laps of luxury while treating
their clients to luxurious items such as yachts, exotic sports cars, and much more.
They considered themselves "homeless" as they traveled lavishly around the world. They show off
their exotic destinations and expensive lifestyle in various vlogs filled with expensive cars and
opulent homes. When they needed a place to stay, the Hutsonas crashed at their client's beautiful
vacation homes and penthouses, documenting it on Youtube. Hutsona often boasted about her A-list
clients, who she'd regularly name drop. The couple was as fabulous as the lavish life they lived.
Or at least that’s what they wanted their audience to believe.
Anybody would be jealous of their lives. They paired down-to-earth personas with
all the perks of being famous. Usually, those two things don't go hand-in-hand.
However, it was all an elaborate scam to gain influence. In reality, those closest to Tracii
knew her as a "serial con artist" who used her influence for her own selfish gains.
The same celebrities she boasted about were being scammed out of millions of dollars.
If it was all an elaborate lie, how did the couple manage to rub elbows
with high-status individuals and roll around Los Angeles in a Rolls Royce or new Mercedes?
Elite Lux Life Hutsona hid her scamming through her company,
Elite Lux Life. Tracii and Derrell were the owners of the VIP Concierge business in Los Angeles that,
as they put it, could put a price tag on just about anything their clients desire.
Hutsona's business accommodated their client's lifestyle management which
meant providing them with anything they desired. They provided many different
services for their clients like exclusive restaurant reservations, booking vacations,
securing exclusive tickets for concerts, and anything in between.
Elite Lux Life helped Hutsona build her celebrity clientele,
also known as the victims who fell prey to her scams. Hutsona gained access to her client's
personal accounts through an elaborate scheme that built trust over time through her company.
Hutsona needed to fund the lifestyle she posted about on social media. Exotic cars,
yacht vacations, and exquisite homestays were all paid for by her unsuspecting victims.
Every Bonnie needs her Clyde, and Mr. Hutsona
is no exception. He had his own brush with fraud. In 2010, he pled guilty to cashing
multiple checks belonging to NFL running back and former high school teammate Reggie Bush.
His sentencing included 600 hours of community service and paying over $60,000 in restitution.
Mrs. Kidd One of the
victims who suffered the most from Hutsona's scamming was Joumana Kidd.
Joumana Kidd was most notably known for her complicated marriage to retired NBA player
Jason Kidd. She hired Tracii as her assistant, obviously unaware of her scamming ways. Joumana
saw Tracii as a close friend. Unfortunately, Tracii only saw her as another pool of free money.
In 2015, Kidd was diagnosed with breast cancer and moved near Calabasas, California. She was in
dire need of a personal assistant who could run errands and provide additional work as
Kidd underwent radiation treatment. Kidd was introduced to Elite Lux Life through a friend,
and she quickly sought out Hutsona. Hutsona agreed to take on the position but could only dedicate
herself to part-time, which Kidd quickly accepted. Because of the nontraditional hours, Hutsona
suggested sending a monthly invoice to Kidd to skip the paperwork and hassle of the hiring
process. This also circumvented a background check, something Kidd should have looked into.
Kidd believed she was getting a better deal. Eventually,
Kidd trusted her so much that she gave Hutsona access to her home and personal information.
She was beyond appreciative of Hutsona's hard work. But when over $300,000 went missing,
Kidd was left with no choice but to confront her employee turned friend about these missing funds.
When Kidd confronted her, Hutsona broke down into one of her notorious sob stories and
quickly gained the sympathy of her latest victim. Kidd decided not to press charges and even gave
Hutsona a second chance because she meant that much to her family. Hutsona was elated and kept
up appearances of being the happy employee for the next few years. However, a dark past lurked
beneath the depths of Hutsona's persona—a past a simple background check would have uncovered.
Skeletons Hutsona had her fair share of
skeletons in her closet. A simple search of the name Hutsona would show the past scamming lives of
Tracii and her husband. In 2005, Hutsona, known then as Tracii Lynn Show Vician, worked for a
staffing company that connected business with contractors. She created two fake contractors
and hired them to work for an insurance company. Hutsona had their paychecks funneled into her
and her husband's account. She collected over $168,000 from the company. To hide her tracks,
Hutsona went as far as falsifying her own passport with a fake image glued over her own.
In 2007, she was arrested for identity theft and wire fraud. There were many
other encounters with the law, like using forged checks to purchase cars and appliances,
using someone else's social security number and name, and fraudulently receiving a passport.
However, these crimes all came while Tracii was married to her first husband, Paul Vician.
He stood by her side for 12 years, never believing in her innocence every step of the way.
Early Crimes The life of crime
started early for Hutsona, whose sister gave a brief understanding of their childhood. Hutsona
didn’t have the greatest of upbringings. As the youngest child to distant parents, she
was primarily raised by her sisters. Hutsona grew up in a home that seemed normal from the outside,
according to Deborah Lindstrom, her older sister. Lindstrom gave accounts of what it
was like growing up with the blossoming con artist who started scamming at a young age.
Lindstrom claimed that her sister had an undeniable charm that worked in her
favor, and she could talk anyone into anything. Hutsona's first occurrences with her life of
crime started with simple theft, such as stealing her sister's driver's license,
which eventually led to stealing from their parents. The scamming got worse, and Hutsona even
opened multiple credit cards in her grandmother's name. Hutsona still denies these claims.
The scams knew no bounds. One turning point in Hutsona's life, according to her sister,
was when she scammed her way into a fancy rental car. Hutsona went to a local car dealership while
living in Los Angeles. She knew she wanted a fancy car to drive around town, and she wasn't going to
let anything get in her way. She approached the car dealer and provided him with an elaborate
story about working on the set of Jingle All the Way, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. She explained
to the man that she worked for the actor directly and that Schwarzenegger demanded the nicest car
available on the lot. The ploy was a success, and Hutsona drove off in an expensive sports car.
But this was just the beginning of her scamming lifestyle.
Jaqui Ellman One of Hutsona's first
victims was a client named Jacqui Ellman. The two met when Ellman was looking for furniture for
her new place in Los Angeles. She'd just moved from Palm Springs after finalizing a divorce.
After picking up the furniture, Ellman was intrigued by the nice couches and even nicer
accommodations after Hutsona offered to deliver the items to her. Ellman
was charmed by the outright friendliness of Hutsona, and the two hit it off right away.
Feeling the relationship growing stronger, Hutsona wanted to see how much she could get
from Ellman. So the con artist fed her new victim a sob story about her home in Malibu
suffering from dangerous mold, leaving her and her family homeless. Ellman was devastated and
just so happened to have her Palm Springs home up for rent since moving. She let
Hutsona live there free of charge because she believed she was helping a friend.
Unbeknownst to Ellman, there was no mold. Hutsona was evicted from her
house for trying to pay her rent with a forged check. Ellman even allowed
Hutsona to sleep on her couch whenever she was out of town for work. But soon,
Ellman noticed some personal belongings going missing—items like expensive designer purses.
Ellman believed she had gained a true, genuine friend, and she was doing what any good friend
would do, help. However, Hutsona quickly saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. Ellman
described Hutsona as someone who acts like they're in a bind and doesn't know what to do,
which allowed her to take advantage of those closest to her. Ellman didn't
realize just how badly her friend was taking advantage of her helping hand
until she received a bill for a credit card that she never signed up for. When she saw the
charges for car repairs and even a car rental service, Ellman knew something was fishy.
Ellman texted Hutsona, demanding to know about the card in her name. Hutsona called her to
admit the truth. However, she didn’t give Ellman the whole truth. Instead,
she provided another sob story, this time about her supposed drug-addicted husband.
He needed to go to a high-priced rehab. Ellman never got the whole story until
Hutsona was eventually convicted of wire fraud and identity theft.
Second Chances
After her encounter with Ellman, her ex-husband Vician had a change
of heart. He flipped on his wife and pleaded guilty to being an accessory
to mail fraud for his role in cashing bad checks. At the time, Vician didn't believe
his wife would create false identities just to pad their bank accounts. But when Vician
discovered his wife's twisted double life of scamming and greed, he flipped sides.
Hutsona agreed to a plea deal for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and
was sentenced to 75 months in prison. While in jail, Hutsona discovered Buddhism and
started going to counseling groups, where she admitted that she had learned her lesson. She
was ready to put her criminal past behind her and turn a new leaf. Andy Richards,
a chaplain at the LA Metropolitan Detention Center, even wrote a letter that claimed Hutsona
was an individual worthy of a second chance. He probably wishes he could take that back.
Scamming the Kidds This leads us back to Ms. Kidd,
who ultimately agreed with Richards and decided Hutsona deserved a second chance.
Kidd allowed Hutsona to keep working for her, and they quickly rebuilt their friendship.
Hutsona worked hard, and her duties continued to grow; she picked up the children,
collected the mail, and even watched the dog whenever the family went out of town.
The family grew such a bond with Hutsona that Kidd's children saw her as a second mother. The
tight-knit relationship allowed Hutsona to steal Kidd's identity and access her bank accounts.
Unbeknownst to Kidd, Hutsona siphoned money from her savings accounts and even her children's
college funds. At the end of the four-year scam, Kidd was out upwards of $2 Million.
All of that money went towards funding Hutsona's fake millionaire
lifestyle. Aftermath
Hutsona's scamming lifestyle eventually caught up, and in February 2021, she was arrested for
wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Hutsona faces up to 22 years in prison for
crimes against her trusted clients turned friends. Hutsona still claims her innocence,
quoted by the New York Times saying she'd be happy to elaborate once the case was behind her.
Hutsona desired a lavish lifestyle more than anything. She wanted to live like
her favorite celebrities, living a life that would make the average Instagrammer jealous.
Now, she'll probably be posting selfies from jail as the legal process plays out.
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Let us know in the comment section if you would give a second chance to someone that burned you!