Melvine Aprile

Melvine Aprile

Real Name: Melvine Matthews Aprile
Aliases: Brenda Ann Richards
Wanted For: Theft, Fraud, Forgery, Abduction
Missing Since: January 18, 1989

Case

Details: Melvine Aprile is wanted for theft, fraud, forgery, and kidnapping. She and her husband Jimmy had met while both were students at the University of South Florida. The couple married in 1970 and had two children, Tony and Sherri. Jimmy worked in real estate, buying apartment complexes and undeveloped land.
After he suffered two heart attacks, he was unable to oversee his business affairs. He then turned his affairs over to his wife. Over the next three years, she sold his real estate and altered deeds, mortgage notes and checks. She also got a friend to pose as Jimmy during a real estate deal. She slowly moved money from their joint account to his own personal account.
Melvine also convinced Jimmy to sell their home in Tampa and move to California, where their son could live better with his asthma. She stayed behind in Tampa to tend to their real estate, commuting on the weekends to their new home in Palo Alto.
On January 18, 1989, Jimmy came back from church to find his house empty, along with his bank accounts. Melvine left behind a note, saying that she needed to get "re-acquainted" with their children. Police found her car at the airport. At first, he believed that they had been abducted. He feared that the kidnappers would use Melvine to steal money from their accounts. He called the banks to freeze their accounts, only to learn that there was no money left. Melvine had stolen $2 million from him and abducted their two children.
In August, prosecutors filed twenty-seven charges, including grand theft and forgery, against her. She and the children have not been seen in almost a year.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the January 3, 1990 episode.
Results: Captured. In March of 1990, Melvine Aprille was arrested in Costa Rica. The children were found safe; they were reunited with Jim shortly after. After returning to Florida, Melvine was convicted of twenty charges, including grand theft and forgery. She was sentenced to five years in prison and 20 years probation. She has since been released.
Links:

• Woman Accused of Skimming From Recovering Husband
• Woman accused of skimming $2 million from ailing husband
• Family theft
• Woman convicted in heist
• Ex-wife faces jail
• Aprile v. Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union
• SitcomsOnline Discussion of Melvine Aprile (includes articles)
• Melvine Aprile on Mugshots.com

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