In this atmosphere it’s hard to believe that only nine months ago, Ms. Fletcher, the well-groomed, petite, mother of three was locked up in a similar situation as her main character, Erica Payne.
Caught up in the world of materialism, ever increasing debt, and a plastic façade to cover it all, the old Michele lived a life that any desperate housewife would envy. A luxurious 7-bedroom home, 3 top of the line salons, a doting husband and 3 daughters to top it off; this may sound like the Huxtible dream, but in this case looks were definitely deceiving. Behind the cars, couture, and cash were credit card scams. Fletcher and her husband Francis, paid for their luxury with the ripped off identities of over 40,000 people.
It was the stolen identities that afforded Michele and her husband a life filled with Louis Vuitton, foreign cars, plasma televisions and too much jewelry to wear at once. It was also these illegitimate personas that led to their demise. The Fletchers had it all, but more was always necessary. Growing up with a father who taught her how to shop for free (he too was convicted of check fraud); Michele was no stranger to the nicer things in life.
Like her life, her arrest was one made for TV, with federal agents swarming and invading her home for an inevitable arrest. Tipped off during a purchase of a few DVD players at a Target store in April of 2003, authorities began a full scale federal investigation, which ultimately led to the Fletchers’ capture.
Once in her cell alone, sans her high end clothes, diamonds, and the life she had charged up until that point, Michele began to realize what the real treasures in life were. And it was in federal prison where she was serving a 4 year jail term that she began to pen Charge it to the Game, which is based on her own experiences. Although only a couple of months removed from prison, Michele is a quantum leap away from her past and plans to stay that way with her debut novel making it’s presence felt in an ever-growing urban lit market.
For more information on Michele Fletcher, visit: www.therealmichelefletcher.com
Elaine Watkins is the Editor-in-Chief of The Urban Book Source.
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Michele Fletcher: