Steven Jay Russell
Encyclopedia
Steven Jay Russell is a U.S.
con artist and impostor
, known for escaping from prison
multiple times. He has received numerous nicknames, including "Houdini
" and "King Con." A film about his life and crimes was produced in 2009, named I Love You Phillip Morris
, starring Jim Carrey
as Steven Jay Russell.
and AIDS
. He began taking laxatives to mimic the symptoms of AIDS, and used a prison typewriter to forge a medical document stating that he suffered from the disease, and used it to convince doctors of his "condition" on February 24, 1998. He fooled the prison doctor into believing that a "special needs parole" to a Houston hospital had been authorized on March 13. Once free, Russell posed as a doctor and informed the prison staff via telephone that "Russell" had died from AIDS.
On March 20, 1998, Russell posed as a millionaire from Virginia
in an attempt to legitimize a $75,000 loan from NationsBank
in Dallas
. When bank officials became suspicious and alerted the police, Russell feigned a heart attack
and was transported to a hospital. While in the hospital, Russell was placed under guard by FBI
agents. However, Russell managed to impersonate an FBI agent on his cell phone and convinced those guarding him that he was no longer a wanted man.
As of 2010 Russell, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
#00760259, is located in the Polunsky Unit
. Due to cumulative crimes, his release date from prison is July 12, 2140.
, starring Jim Carrey
as Steven Jay Russell and Ewan McGregor
as his boyfriend Phillip Morris.
magazine interviewed both Steven Russell and Phillip Morris for its feature, "The Great Escapee", while The Guardian
published "I Love You, Phillip Morris: A Conman's Story". Cracked.com
included Russell on their list of "The 7 Craziest Things Ever Done to Get Laid".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
con artist and impostor
Impostor
An impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
, known for escaping from prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
multiple times. He has received numerous nicknames, including "Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
" and "King Con." A film about his life and crimes was produced in 2009, named I Love You Phillip Morris
I Love You Phillip Morris
I Love You Phillip Morris is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film based on the 1980s and '90s real-life story of con artist, impostor, and multiple prison escapee Steven Jay Russell, as played by Jim Carrey. While incarcerated, Russell falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris...
, starring Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
as Steven Jay Russell.
Escaping from prisons
While imprisoned, Russell read extensively on HIVHIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. He began taking laxatives to mimic the symptoms of AIDS, and used a prison typewriter to forge a medical document stating that he suffered from the disease, and used it to convince doctors of his "condition" on February 24, 1998. He fooled the prison doctor into believing that a "special needs parole" to a Houston hospital had been authorized on March 13. Once free, Russell posed as a doctor and informed the prison staff via telephone that "Russell" had died from AIDS.
On March 20, 1998, Russell posed as a millionaire from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in an attempt to legitimize a $75,000 loan from NationsBank
NationsBank
NationsBank was one of the largest banking corporations in the United States, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1998, it acquired BankAmerica to become Bank of America.-Corporate history:...
in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. When bank officials became suspicious and alerted the police, Russell feigned a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and was transported to a hospital. While in the hospital, Russell was placed under guard by FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
agents. However, Russell managed to impersonate an FBI agent on his cell phone and convinced those guarding him that he was no longer a wanted man.
As of 2010 Russell, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
#00760259, is located in the Polunsky Unit
Polunsky Unit
Allan B. Polunsky Unit is a prison in West Livingston, unincorporated Polk County, Texas, located approximately southwest of Livingston along Farm to Market Road 350. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the facility. The unit houses the State of Texas death row, and it has a maximum...
. Due to cumulative crimes, his release date from prison is July 12, 2140.
Film
A film about his life and crimes was produced in 2009, named I Love You Phillip MorrisI Love You Phillip Morris
I Love You Phillip Morris is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film based on the 1980s and '90s real-life story of con artist, impostor, and multiple prison escapee Steven Jay Russell, as played by Jim Carrey. While incarcerated, Russell falls in love with his fellow inmate, Phillip Morris...
, starring Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
as Steven Jay Russell and Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
as his boyfriend Phillip Morris.
Internet and print media
Since the movie went into production and Steven Jay Russell's story became more popular, several articles appeared in print and online uncovering lesser known details of his exploits. EsquireEsquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine interviewed both Steven Russell and Phillip Morris for its feature, "The Great Escapee", while The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
published "I Love You, Phillip Morris: A Conman's Story". Cracked.com
Cracked.com
Cracked.com is a humor website that was spun off the last attempt to revive Cracked magazine. It began in its current form in 2007.-Attempted relaunch of Cracked:...
included Russell on their list of "The 7 Craziest Things Ever Done to Get Laid".