Trayvon Martin

Trayvon Martin case

Wife to Zimmerman: You’re gonna have a great life

 

Jailhouse calls demonstrate that Zimmerman was the mastermind behind getting his wife to move large amounts of money out of his accounts. His wife was charged with perjury after she said under oath that the couple had no money.

frobles@MiamiHerald.com

“It’s all about George Zimmerman’s credibility,” said Benjamin Crump, a Tallahassee attorney Trayvon’s parents hired to help push for criminal charges. “It is George Zimmerman who conspires and coaches others to execute a scheme to hide money and a passport ultimately deceiving the court.… He is the one telling everybody what to do.”

On the jail phone calls, Zimmerman can be heard giving his wife repeated step-by-step instructions on changing the password and security questions to his online donations account. They talk in simple code, referring to PayPal as “Peter Pan.” They speak in adoring tones and use pet names like “boo” and “cutie.”

Over and over again, Zimmerman tells his wife how proud he is that she accomplished the password change and transfers.

“You’re such an amazing role model to people, honey,” Shellie said to him.

He repeatedly reminded Shellie to use a password she could remember, to write it down several places and to set her phone alarm to remind her daily to call a friend helping administer the account. He told her how much should be moved how many times a day, and how much should be liquidated and left in a safe deposit box.

A friend dubbed “Ken” transferred funds from PayPal to Zimmerman’s account, according to the calls. From there, Shellie Zimmerman would move the money to her bank and then withdraw large amounts of cash, the calls and records show.

In one call, Zimmerman’s sister Grace — code named “Susie”— helps Shellie understand the instructions.

“Don’t rely on her to write it down,” Zimmerman said to Grace, referring to Shellie. “She’ll forget.”

Both women repeat instructions over and over again. Shellie, 25, talks excitedly about paying bills.

Shellie Zimmerman was arrested last week on a felony charge of lying under oath during her husband’s bond hearing. She faces the possibility of five years in prison.

Zimmerman’s defense attorney said he filed a motion in court Monday objecting to the planned release of 145 other jail phone calls that are unrelated to Zimmerman’s bond.

“We are compiling a list of other potentially relevant phone calls and we will present them when appropriate,” O’Mara wrote on his website.

His motion to hold off on the 145 other calls will be discussed at the hearing next week.

On the tapes Zimmerman repeatedly discussed his shower schedule, and was very concerned about security. He asked his wife to purchase three bulletproof vests — one for him, one for her and another for O’Mara.

They referred several times to advice offered by a “safety counsel,” apparently a consultant advising them on security matters.

At one point they discussed plans for how to elude the media upon release from jail if he was granted bond. Zimmerman asked his wife to rent two cars and a hotel room with an attached garage.

She suggested he duck in the backseat to hide from reporters. In a thinly veiled reference to the controversial garment worn by Trayvon, Zimmerman chuckled and said: “Well, I have my hoodie.”

Read more Trayvon Martin stories from the Miami Herald

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