Shivangi Sinha
Conmen have a long history of using charm and deceit to exploit the trust and resources of their victims. Their nefarious activities often leave a trail of emotional and financial devastation. One of the notorious alleged conmen whose news and activities recently came to light in 2019 is Paul Carter. He was accused by several of his ex-wives and fiancées of lying, manipulating, and financially defrauding them. The episode ‘Casanova Con Man’ from ID’s ‘Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?’ delves into the details of the allegations against Carter and the extent of the damage he inflicted on those close to him.
Paul Carter Has Been Accused of Defrauding Several Ex-Wives and Their Family
Paul Carter was born Paul Cristallo to Gianna and Giovanni Cristallo. In the 1990s, his family-owned Alpine Concepts, a company that manufactured and sold snow gear. Initially, the company did quite well, and this success fueled Paul’s desire for luxurious and fancy things. He purchased many high-end and fast cars, but the expenses of repairing and maintaining them quickly became unmanageable for Paul and the company. The expenditures soon exceeded the profits, leading to financial strain.
In an attempt to turn the business around, Paul relocated the offices to a larger building and hired more employees to create an illusion of success. However, these efforts did not yield positive results, and the company was swiftly forced into liquidation. The financial pressure was so intense that Gianna had to sell her house, and the stress ultimately led to the breakdown of her marriage.
This is when Paul changed his name to Paul Carter and reinvented himself, claiming to be from a prominent construction and development family. He began working as the CEO of Uniting Housing Victoria, a church group dedicated to helping vulnerable homeless people, but he allegedly swindled a significant amount of money from this organization. During this time, he collaborated with several construction companies but reportedly failed to reimburse their bills, defrauding them.
Carter also reconnected with his mother’s new partner, an Italian man named Jim Quattrocelli, who was sick and looking to build a retirement home for himself. Carter convinced him to hand over the land, promising to develop the property Jim wanted. He initiated some construction work on the spot and took out substantial loans for building purposes. However, before completing the project, Carter fled the country, leaving Quattrocelli homeless and penniless in his old age. It is alleged that Carter’s mother cut off all contact with him from now on.
Carter returned to Australia while Brooklin and their son stayed in the US. During this time, he was in a relationship with a woman named Katherine De Bois and was even engaged to her. He had told her that his wife had dies years ago from cancer and gave her details about the ordeal he had faced then. Katherine owned a small hair salon she planned to sell to the government for $300,000. However, Carter convinced her to sell the property to him, claiming he could negotiate better terms. This raised a red flag for Katherine, as she knew Carter to be a wealthy man, and his interest in her small property didn’t add up. Soon after, she received an anonymous message on her social media revealing that Carter was a married man with a child. She immediately broke off the relationship.
It is alleged that Carter attempted to have Katherine killed after she discovered his affair, though no official complaints have been made in this regard. Brooklin also learned about his engagement when their son came across pictures of Carter and Katherine together. She claims that Carter used a fake RSVP dating profile to communicate with her and charmed his way into her life. Brooklin has accused Carter of taking loans worth $2 million from her father and defrauding her and her family. She also alleges that when she ended the marriage, Carter threatened her with harm. As a result, she sleeps with a weapon nearby, and their son sleeps with a knife under his pillow due to the perceived threat from his father.
Paul Carter is in His Fourth Marriage Today
In September 2019, after Paul Carter’s divorce from Brooklin Carter was finalized, he married Kelly Hamilton, his divorce lawyer. The couple moved to Watervliet, New York, and spent a few years together. However, in 2021, Carter and Brooklin were charged with visa fraud. They had lied in 2018 when attempting to renew their E-2 visas. During the investigation, Carter’s house was searched, and the police discovered that he had changed his name to Paul Hamilton. Additionally, fake business and law degrees and other concerning documents were recovered from his residence.
Exposing his activities earned him the nickname “Casanova Conman,” and many of his alleged victims have spoken out against him since then. In 2019, CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ gave him a chance to speak about the allegations against him and he admitted that he had lied about Brooklin’s death but maintained that he had never taken money from any of his wives or their family members.
He had to spend two nights in a detention facility, and upon returning home, he was required to wear an ankle bracelet as part of his house arrest. In May 2022, his case was brought before a judge, and Carter was sentenced to time served plus a meager $5,000 fine. The U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement have served him with a notice to appear in court, but no other charges have been filed against him. Carter and Kelly also filed for permission to move to San Diego, but the ruling on that request has yet to be granted. He remains married to a US. citizen, and no legal process or institution has confirmed the allegations against him. The couple lives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and has largely avoided the public eye.
