`Matthew Bevan Cox, commonly known as Matthew Cox, is a convicted felon and con man who was convicted of conspiracy and grand theft. Cox, also an aspiring author, wrote an unpublished novel entitled The Associates.Testerman, Jeff. Fraud by the book: Novelist becomes his own hero, St. Petersburg Times, December 19, 2004, accessed April 4, 2007.   In the novel a character, based upon himself, travelled the country committing mortgage fraud. Cox was able to falsify dosuments to make it appear as he though he owned properties which he did not, and then fraudulently attain sveral mortgages on the properties for 5–6 times their actual worth. Throughout his criminal career Cox is estimated to have acquired over $5 million in this manner.   ==Early life== Cox struggled with dyslexia as a youth and his teachers advised to get a job working with his hands. In response to this Cox took up art and sculpture and attended from the University of South Florida where he majored in Art.  ==Adult life and criminal career== Cox abandoned his career as an artist to take a job as a mortgage broker. While there he developed a scrupulous reputation, which was heightned by his authroship of a boo entitled The Associates which detailed a character, that written obviously as a copy of himself, travelled the country committing mortgage fraud. Cox even went so far as to tell co-workers of the novel and elaborate on the novel's details. Cox was able to fake a good credit history and used that to buy dozens of homes and properties which he then used his skills as an artist to decorate with elaborate murals. Cox then charmed a young local married woman, Alison Arnold, into believing that he would be able to provide a wealthy and luxurious life for her. Cox often filed fraudulent mrgage dosuments and was, in several cases, able to mortgage properties by 5–6 times their actual worth. After Arnold refusing to get breast implants and abandon her son, Cox began to court another woman. Rebecca Hauck, who, unlike Arnold, was willing to leave her 13 year old son Bryce. After being tipped off by a reporter that a local newspaper, the St. Petersburg Times, was investigating Cox, he fled town with Hauk. Two days later the story entitled, ``Dubious Deals All those dozens of porperties and so much more about Matthew Cox`` hit the newstand. Cox fled to Atlanta, Georgia during this time Cox travelled to Mobile, Alabama and using assuming the identity of a former co-worker acquired credit cards and credit to acquire a home and, after filing false documents that indicated he owned the home, took out several mortgages on the home in the amount of several hundred thousand US Dollars. Cox was so bold in these actiivities that he even took out a mortgage in the name of ``C. Montgomery Burns``, in an homage to The Simpsons television character of the same name, on one mortgage. Cox then did the same for several other properties, after which the couple moved to the Tallahasse, Florida area and continued their criminal practices.  Authorities in the Atlanta area began to discover Cox's criminal activities and then ascertained Cox's identity. News broadcasts aired showing the photos of Cox and Hauck, and requesting viewers to proivde information as to their whereabouts. By the Spring of 2005, Cox and Hauck had eluded authorities for eighteen months, using dozens of identities including ones stolen from former co-workers and acquaintances. At this point, due to remorse and anxiety, Arnold called the FBI and confessed. Shortly thereafter, Cox mortgaged several properties on two houses in a few days in Columbia, South Carolina. A local clerk noticed this and a frau alert was issued on one of his money laundering bank accounts. Cox was then arrested when he returned to the bank to make a transaction. Cox told authorities that his name was Gary Lee Sullivan, one of approximately thirty aliases Cox had at the time, and due to the fact that Sullivan had no open warrants the police released Cox. After Cox he and Hauck broke up and after some receiving some money from Cox, Hauck moved to Houston, where she lived in hiding under an assumed name. One year later hauck was found and arrested by the Secret Service.   ==References==  ==External links== *Art collection at dateline.msnbc.com`