Diabolical | EP 8 | The Confidante

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Whether your story involves friendship, family, business, or a double life you never saw coming, we want to hear from you. If you've been thinking about sharing your story, now is the time. Email us the details at BetrayalPod at gmail.com. That's Betrayal, P-O-D, at gmail.com. All right, on to the show. My name is Allison George, and I'm a detective with the Kenosha County Sheriff's Office. But I stand before the court today without my gun or my badge because I'm not here as a law enforcement officer. I'm here as a victim of the defendant, Mr. Paul Augustine. Throughout the investigation and the subsequent court proceedings, I've heard repeated excuses, mental illness, and my personal favorite, well, no one was hurt. What I have not seen is Mr. Augustine expressing or displaying any remorse at all for his actions. The only remorse I have seen is remorse that his elaborate plan crumbled and he was caught. I'm Andrea Gunning, and this is Betrayal Season Six. Episode 8, Diabolical. The police investigation into Paul Augustine's case uncovered something shocking. Paul had asked a man named Joseph if he could make a small grenade and put it in someone's mailbox. Who did he want a grenade in their mailbox? He was mainly looking at you. Me? Yeah. Within hours of this interview, a new warrant was issued for Paul's arrest. Police wanted him in custody right away. They staked out his house into the early hours of August 7th, 2024, and around 1:00 AM, Paul finally showed up. Driver, turn the vehicle off. Stay in the car. Put your hands up in the air. Just stay right there. Do not reach for anything. Stop reaching in your fucking pocket. This was nothing like Paul's first arrest. Back then, detectives gave Paul the opportunity to explain himself, and to give his mom a hug. They were gentle with him. This time, the cops weren't so generous. Stand up! Okay, okay. Turn around. Do not put your hands. Okay, don't hurt me. You are under arrest right now. For what? You have a felony warrant for arrest. Okay, what did I do? Paul was arrested for violating the conditions of his bail. But by the end of that day, he had 14 new charges. For the threat of the mailbox grenade and for continuing to harass Carl and Drew while out on bail. That was on top of the 20 charges he already had. He was now facing a maximum of 146 years and three months. Effectively, life in prison. The prosecutor who worked on Paul's case, Tom Banger, says that the grenade threat put Paul in a new category. There are many things that place this case way over the line. But when you are going after the detective investigating your case, you are now into the mafia type territory. I can't remember any other examples where one of these perpetrators has made a threat to go to the home of an investigating officer and harm them or their family. That's just not done. That level of thinking shows you that this is someone who was not going to stop unless we stopped him. That's why the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office brought so many additional charges. It's also why they argued for Paul to get a higher bail. The first time around, it was set at $5,000. This time, it was $500,000. No one, not even his mom, was getting Paul out. Paul could either go to trial to try and prove his innocence or admit what he'd done and take a plea deal. In the confession tape, he made his intentions clear. I'm not pleading guilty. That's for fucking sure. After nearly a year of negotiations, Paul changed his tune. Finally, he decided to plead guilty. He would admit guilt to six counts: two for stalking, two for false reporting of an emergency, one for obstructing an officer in their investigation, and one for misappropriation of identifying information. Then there was the big one: the charge related to threatening Detective George. To that charge, Paul pled no contest. A no contest plea is basically saying that you're acknowledging that you're going to be found guilty, but you're not admitting your guilt. That's Dan Tombasco, another prosecutor who worked on Paul's case. He explained Paul wasn't going to admit he tried to get a bomb in the detective's mailbox. But Paul knew there was enough evidence to convict him, so he accepted the punishment. In the eyes of the court, this was a conviction. All of the other 27 charges were dismissed. But Paul would still have to go to court for his sentencing hearing. He would be held accountable for his long list of wrongs: the hundreds of spoofed phone calls, the threatening texts, and the fake calls to police, for impersonating Adam and causing his arrest, and for trying to solicit someone to go after Detective George. His victims would testify, and he'd stand before a judge who determined how much time he'd spend behind bars. And this sentencing hearing would be a little different from most. It was a free hand with both sides being free to argue. So the state makes their argument, and then Mr. Augustine and his attorney get to make their argument, and then the judge is going to decide what the fair outcome is. In other words, during plea negotiations, the two sides never agreed on how much time Paul would have to serve. It would be up to the judge, after she heard both sides. There was no guarantee Paul would get prison time. She could have actually just given him a fine as a result of this. The sentencing hearing was set for September 16, 2025. The court calls 24 CF 123, 24 CF 1185. When the day came, the Kenosha County courtroom was packed. Carl says walking into that courtroom was a moment he'll never forget. It was honestly surreal because Paul was walking in at the same time. that we all were. And it was Drew's mom that was holding the door open for him. He was wearing his orange jumpsuit. He had the chains around his arms and his legs. His eyes were sunken in. He was always thin, but he did look thinner. So that combination was, it was quite striking. Drew and I were exchanging words and walked in together right behind Paul. Drew was trying to, like, keep me level, but my eyes were digging into the back of his skull. Carl and Drew's family and friends had come to support them. There wasn't, I don't think, a single empty chair, you know, to paint the picture. It was four people there for Paul. The rest of the room was there for the victims. Many of Carl's friends were already seated up near the front. Drew's family and friends had driven all the way to the front. They were all sitting there. All the way from Iowa. And then the back row was all detectives there to support Detective George. And it was truly gratifying to get that level of support in the way that we all did. Carl and Drew shuffled into a bench together as Paul took a seat at the defendant's table. Judge Angelina Gabrielle would be deciding Paul's fate. All right, the court calls State of Wisconsin v. Paul Augustine. Your Honor, Attorney Dan Timbosco appears to the state. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Your Honor. Michael Hart on behalf of Mr. Augustine, who appears in custody and is seated to my left. All right, Attorney Timbosco, which victim would like to speak first? So, Your Honor, I'd like to start with Detective Allison George, please. Did you always know that you were going to participate in the sentencing hearing? I don't remember when I decided to do it, but I realized that was kind of an important step in the process. Victims need to have their vote. I've always heard and to be able to kind of say out loud the things that they're feeling. She took the stand. The whole back row of the gallery was filled with officers who'd come to support her. Among them was her partner, Detective Morrow. The whole bureau, whoever was there, went that day. We got each other's back. All right, go ahead, ma'am. Paul Augustine. I've struggled in deciding what to say to the court today because I believe in rehabilitation. I believe that good people can make bad choices, and that does not make them a bad person. The difference is often the ability to feel empathy for their victims, remorse for their actions, and they have a desire and willingness to change. But throughout the investigation and the subsequent court proceedings, I've heard repeated excuses. Mental illness. And my personal favorite, well, no one was hurt. Even after being arrested, charged with 13 felonies, and seven misdemeanors of being placed on bond, Mr. Augustine did not stop. Instead, he quietly escalated. Mr. Augustine's actions showed a blatant disregard not only for the justice system, but for the health, well-being, and safety of anyone who stood in his way. I would like to leave the court with this. In nearly a decade of law enforcement, I've been afraid for my safety many, many times. But I always faced that danger knowing that my family was safe at home. That is, until Mr. Augustine crossed that line and brought my family and my loved ones into the equation. I live in a duplex, and my neighbors are a beautiful little family. Her neighbors, often grab her packages for her as a favor. And if the defendant had succeeded in having a bomb placed on my porch, it wouldn't have been me who was hurt. It would have been that innocent neighbor whose only sin was living next to the detective who interfered with Mr. Augustine's obsessive course of conduct. Thank you. Thank you. I asked Detective Morrow what he remembers from this moment, of hearing these words from his partner, and watching her walk away. George does a very good job at not showing emotions. But you could definitely tell that that bothered her. And I don't blame her, because that should shake anybody up. So many innocent people could have gotten hurt, all because of Paul. And the second victim you're on would be Adam Mejia. Adam, Carl's ex-boyfriend. He gave his victim impact statement by Zoom. Why didn't you go to court? Why'd you do it remotely? I don't know still if I could have seen Carl and everybody. Was it hard for you to write this statement? I wrote that that morning. Because it's like, how do you take two years of chaos and combine all of those emotions into a piece of paper? I didn't think I was going to be able to do it. But I feel like I did. today as a victim of false incarceration and identity theft. Although I've never met the person responsible for these crimes, their actions have deeply affected my life. Being falsely arrested was a terrifying experience. I felt powerless, unsafe, and stripped of my freedom. Even after the incident ended, the fear and helplessness stayed with me. I continue to struggle with anxiety, nightmares, and moments of panic. I am more cautious, less trusting, and I often feel unsafe in situations that once felt normal. I've spent countless hours trying to repair the damage and worrying about what else might have been done in my name. I often feel like I am still under attack. I live with a lingering fear. A fear of being confined again. A fear of not being able to. I want to fully protect myself. I still have two restraining orders that were dropped on my record pertaining to this case as well as a mugshot and a booking for the false stalking charges through Kenosha County Inmate Search. This will not end for me because I still have permanent records that are in place that I'm told cannot be removed. I want the court to understand that these actions were not victimless or abstract. They caused real harm to me and my family. Thank you for giving me a chance to share how the crimes have affected my life. Thank you, Mr. Mejia. Adam Mejia and Detective Allison George. Two very different victims. One was a sworn officer. One had served time. One was threatened. One was framed. And yet, they both suffered at the hands of the same man. But there was someone else. A victim you haven't heard from yet. Not directly, anyway. He had his own story to tell. He and Paul knew each other well. And according to Paul's own confession, if Paul had his way, this victim might not have survived. If I could have kept doing shit, I would have, like, put Visine in his fucking stir fry. Wait, what does that do? Kills you. Oh. Well, yeah. But, like, because I just want to. He'd kill him. This man was the object of so much of Paul's rage. And he'd be the next to testify. Next. Drew Condon. The holidays are coming, which means we're going to have to wait until the end of the year to see if Paul's rage is the same as the one that we've seen so far. We're going to have to wait until the end of the year to see if Paul's rage is the same as the one that we've seen so far. 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But on the day of Paul's sentencing, Drew went before a full room of people. And finally, after months of torment, he faced the man who had fantasized about killing him with Vizine. Drew gave us permission to share his statement with you. I won't lie. A lot of people today in this room are going to see a version of me that they're not accustomed to seeing. I want to be completely honest when I say I've never in my life met someone who was so jealous and vile, hateful, and odd. You should feel embarrassed and humiliated at your behavior. It's disgusting that you would claim this now, that everyone is framing you, that you're being bullied because of the fact that you have autism. It's time to own up to your actions. You're not being bullied. You were the bully. I spent countless nights and days for nearly a year wondering when this would stop. Each day was painful, hard to get through, a daily struggle to find the mental strength to do things like going to work, maintain a healthy lifestyle, spend quality time with my partner, friends, and family. Furthermore, after learning that you were responsible, I couldn't fathom why you would do this, why you would choose to do this to someone that you apparently cared about. Suddenly, what was so hard to get through each day became even more challenging. I felt a lack of trust, confidence, and love from people all around me. I felt a bubble that I couldn't pop. It was excruciating to watch myself grapple with someone causing me so much pain day after day, and someone that I loved so much pain day after day. He knew the pain that he was causing, but did not care. He didn't care then, and I feel that he still does not care today. I want to thank my partner, Carl, for sticking by me and always making sure that I was happy and taking care of each day. I want to separately extend an apology to Adam's family, friends, and partner. The amount of stress and anxiety this caused you and your family was completely unacceptable, and I'm deeply sorry. In life, I believe in simplicity, respect, and truth. Most, if not all, of these three words were taken from me. I used to be innocent, genuinely trusting of people, open-hearted, and unfortunately, that innocence was taken for weakness. I was manipulated and betrayed when I thought that you cared, when I thought that you were also being harassed. I don't forgive you, and maybe that's not what I'm supposed to say. Maybe I'm just supposed to tie it up with grace and healing and wishing you well moving forward, but I don't. I don't wish you well. Not because I'm bitter, but because you knew exactly what you were doing. They say forgiveness is for me, not for you, but what if I found peace without giving you my grace, my good heart, and my well wishes? What if I moved on without letting you off the hook? Because some people don't deserve closure or softness or a second chance at being seen as gentle with me when they were anything but. So I don't forgive you. I have truly found peace in knowing that this was all a lesson, a hard lesson. One that I didn't deserve, yet thankfully survived anyway, and that's enough for me. Thank you. Finally, it was Carl's turn to speak. Up through that point, it was everybody kind of speaking for me, and when that day came, I was I was very excited to use my voice to finally talk about what happened to me and how it impacted me. I was ready for it. Carl took the stand and looked straight at his former best friend, Paul Augustine. After enduring nearly a year of psychological torment, manipulation, and fear, I stand before you not only as a victim, but as someone determined to speak the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for the person responsible. And that person is Paul Augustine. There is no easy way to articulate what it feels like to realize that someone you once trusted, someone who sat in your home, who shared meals with you, who posed as a friend, was secretly behind the very horror you were trying to escape. Paul exploited my vulnerabilities. He weaponized my past and created a years-long illusion of friendship to gain control over me. He shattered my peace, destabilized my sense of reality, and caused damage that no sentence, no apology, and no explanation can undo. I met Paul in December of 2013. As a recently out member of the LGBT community at the time, I was emotionally vulnerable, still figuring out who I was and seeking acceptance in a world that often punishes people like me for simply being themselves. Paul was charming, outwardly generous, and eager to befriend me. At the time, I didn't see how much he would come to manipulate my isolation. isolation, and self-doubt. Carl then walked the court through the timeline of the harassment in great detail, and he talked at length about the impact it had on him. I started losing sleep, growing paranoid, and withdrawing from the people around me. Meanwhile, Paul ramped up his presence in my life. He could see I was unraveling, and then the detective told me the truth. The person behind the entire campaign of harassment was not Adam or anyone connected to him, but rather it was Paul. In that moment, everything shattered. Once again, I could not breathe. I felt humiliated, enraged, and violated. I had been living in hell all the while confiding in the person who created it, the person who had held my hand while throwing me off the cliff. And thankfully, because Paul helped himself, the recorded confession of his actions after he bonded out from his first arrest clarified much about his intentions. It became clear that all of Paul's efforts were calculated attempts to remove Andrew from my life so he could take his place, as if we were destined for some twisted version of happily ever after. Did he really think that tearing my life apart would somehow earn my affection? Unfortunately, this shows just how deep his obsession ran and how far he went to deny him his life. Paul was a man of his word, and he was a man of his word. Paul was a man of his word. He may try to downplay the charges as a single mistake deserving leniency, but the reality is that even after his January 2024 arrest, he knew exactly what he was doing through all of it and the harassment that continued afterward. He didn't stop when I was exhausted or afraid or when someone else was arrested for his crimes. He only stopped when he was caught. Then, Carl took a deep breath. And addressed his ex-boyfriend, And addressed his ex-boyfriend, Adam. The person Carl once thought was behind all this. Adam. To Adam, you were wrongly accused used. You were framed. And because of that, you were arrested for something you did not do. You can hear the pain in Carl's voice. I am so deeply sorry for the role I played in believing a lie that hurt you. I was manipulated and so are you. Paul used the both of us. I hope he hears these words and understands that no excuse, no diagnosis, and no victim-blaming narrative will ever undo what he did because what he did was deliberate. What he did was evil. And what he did will not be forgiven and I will never forgive him. Thank you for hearing my voice today. It's one I will never let anyone take from me again. Thank you. Thank you. Once all the victims had their chance to speak, it was Paul's turn. Mr. Augustine, is there anything you would like to say? Yes. while you're away. These days, you're worried about your house, you're out of town, and then something comes up and you get to look on your phone and SimpliSafe is going to show you not only the video of like, it's a raccoon at your front door, but also that they have staff that's sitting there, they already know. And if it was something different or worse, they would have already been on it. Yeah, I really think that's invaluable peace of mind that just like relying on your neighbors paying attention is not going to give you. That's simplisafe.com slash MFM. And when you order, write in MFM at checkout and it tells them we sent you and it really helps the show. SimpliSafe, ahead of crime in real time. Goodbye. Talkiatry is a 100% online psychiatric practice offering comprehensive evaluations, diagnoses, and ongoing medication management for conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, and more. Licensed psychiatrists can create a personalized treatment plan and prescribe medication when appropriate. That's T-A-L-K-I-A-T-R-Y.com slash betrayal. Betrayal. To get matched in minutes. Listen, we're all trying to save for something. But in reality, it can be hard to actually save money. But that's what's great about the OnePay app. It makes saving money easy. First, you earn 3% cash back on up to $150. You choose categories like Walmart, gas, or dining, and then get rewarded when you spend in those categories. So you're rewarded for what you're already buying. With high-yield savings, your money keeps growing. So download the OnePay app or visit OnePay.com for banking that gives you more for what matters. Cashback is earned as points. No, no, no! Stream the final season of Yellow Jackets. Yellow Jackets, November 20th on Paramount+. We're going to be so, totally. As we mentioned at the top of the episode, Paul's sentence would be left up to the judge. He could get prison time, or he could be let off with a fine, which meant every word shared in that courtroom had the power to influence what came next. After all the victims got their chance to live, they were able to get out of prison. to speak, the prosecutor gave a brief statement. He asked for five years of prison time and three years of extended supervision. Then, it was time to hear from the defense. Paul's attorney, Michael Hart, asked the judge for a lighter sentence. He explained that his client had already been confined at the Kenosha County Detention Center for the last 14 months. The first six of which occurred in a segregated unit where he was confined 23 hours a day because there were threats on his life. Now, listen, I'm not asking for anyone to feel sorry for Mr. Augustine, but this has hardly been easy time. Mr. Augustine has 405 days of pretrial confinement credit in a setting that is less than ordinary confinement for a person of 130 pounds and his social makeup. So he asked the court to impose and stay a prison sentence, to let Paul out and put him on probation. With conditions that are appropriate, including mental health treatment, AODA assessment and follow through, no contact with any of the victims. This all stood in stark contrast to the prosecution's ask. But Hart argued that giving Paul a lengthy prison sentence could send a bad message. We as a system have a continuum of offenses. And if we find an appropriate sentence of 10 years of confinement, what do we do with the cases involving armed robberies and violent offenders, physical violence? What do we do with those cases? While I'm not suggesting to you that Mr. Augustine's behavior in this case is not diabolical, there is an appropriate sentence that doesn't rise to the level of 10 years of confinement. Thank you. Thank you. And does his mother wish to speak? She does. The judge allowed Paul's mom to make a statement on his behalf. She was his strongest supporter. I'd like to first say that we fully realize the seriousness of these offenses. We are not here to minimize or make excuses. We would like to apologize to the victims for the disruption this has brought to their lives. As parents, we are truly sorry. We believe that had Paul been in treatment for known long-standing mental health issues and emotional struggles that he was carrying, that we likely would not be here. Mark, Paul's father, Mark and I both feel some sense of responsibility in that regard for failing to recognize the severity and not being more insistent that he be in therapy, especially after the death of his spouse. The death of his spouse. If you remember, Paul's boyfriend died in January of 2021. They weren't married, but they were living together. Paul was there when he died. Paul's mom said that his grief and his anxiety around being alone impacted him profoundly. I want it known that this behavior was a drastic shift from Paul's baseline of 32 years. Completely out of character, blindsided us. This is Paul's rock bottom. As for the incarceration, he's had a very tough go of it. I have spoken to him every single day since the inception of this case and all I've heard from Paul is deep insight as to how he got here and shame, regret, all positive indicators that he does own and take responsibility for his actions. He's shamed beyond belief. So it was hard to hear that he thinks it's funny and brags and doesn't have remorse, that is so not what I've seen. He's motivated to be healthy mentally, emotionally, and morally. He'll be a better man. He is damaged, not dangerous. We respectfully ask that he be allowed to return home to heal and do good in the world. Please allow Paul to come home. Thank you. Everyone watched Paul's mom walk back to her seat, including Sue, Carl's mom. I really felt somewhat sympathetic towards his mother. I would not want to be sitting in that courtroom in those benches hearing my son plead guilty felony counts that's going to put them away for have been a bazillion years. But knowing what he has caused, the grief that he has caused to my son, the sympathy only goes so far. Then there was just one more person left to hear from. Mr. Yes. I would like to start out by apologizing to everyone that I impacted with these poor choices. It's a long list of people. That includes Carl, Andrew, Adam, Detective George, along with each and every one of their family members. I'd also like to give a huge apology just to law enforcement as a whole for wasting their precious time, wasting their resources. I acted out in completely unacceptable and embarrassing ways, both not only legally, but morally speaking. Paul read from a yellow legal pad. He barely took a breath. He'd been waiting for this moment for over a year. Would Paul really show remorse? Throughout the past 13 months of being incarcerated, I've had time to reflect every single day on where I went horribly wrong and reflect on where I see my future. I cannot even begin to stress the extreme amount of sadness, embarrassment, and grief that I feel here today, knowing that I forever tarnished once beautiful friendships and connections. I don't want to let go of any of the things I've done, and I don't want to let go of any of the things that I've done. falling in love with someone and not accepting no as an answer. I coped with that in such a way that brought chaos, fear, and anxiety into multiple people's lives over a long duration of time. My actions were extremely shameful and I realize now that they demonstrate the opposite of loving a person. I am 100% committed to following the rules imposed by the court today, whatever that sentence may be. And I promise you from the bottom of my heart, your honor, that I understand the gravity and the full extent of what I caused and the dark cloud that I had over people's lives. And I'm disgusted with myself for engaging in such disgusting behavior. And that's that concludes everything thank you the statement really just came across as disingenuous to me he just kept going on about how bad he felt i'm willing to do anything the court says i learned my lesson but did he really though it didn't really feel like it was a full acknowledgement meant for the terror he really caused. After Paul's statement, it was time for Judge Angelina Gabrielle to impose her sentence. As we said at the top of the episode, Paul pled guilty to six counts, two for stalking, two for false reporting of an emergency, one for obstructing an officer in their investigation, and one for misappropriation of identifying information. He also pled no contest on the charge related to Detective George. For all these crimes, the prosecution asked for five years of prison time, followed by three years of extended supervision. The defense asked the judge to let Paul out and place him on probation. But the judge had reviewed the case herself, and she was disturbed by what she saw. The court considers the seriousness of the offenses as one factor in deciding what an appropriate sentence should be. And these are exceptionally serious. Judge Gabrielle addressed Paul directly. After being released from jail and on video, you admitted and bragged about the offenses that you had engaged in. You were not sorry, only sorry that you got caught. what you did to these people is unacceptable and that's truly an understatement of what happened here you engaged in a course of action that was calculated that was manipulative over a course of nine or ten months in which you stalked these people you intimidated them you threatened them You falsely accused another person of being responsible. And not only did your false accusation land, it resulted in Mr. Mejia being arrested. He said he was shaken to the core by this trauma, not understanding how or why he was even in custody. I note that you were arrested on January 25th, 2024, and when you were released, you were undeterred from your course of action. You simply picked up right where you left off. I'm being asked to consider what your life would be like if I incarcerate you. You didn't take time or give consideration to what your life would be like if you were incarcerated. You had two days to sample that lifestyle, and you came out undeterred. Mr. Condon said that his innocence was taken, he felt manipulated and betrayed, and he doesn't forgive you. The judge paused, she sighed, and then she turned to speak to Drew. Mr. Condon, I'll say, I hear people come into court here who have suffered tremendous harm to themselves, and they do say that they forgive the person who harmed them. but I never quite believed them because I think like you, how can you forgive? All you can do is move forward. There's no reason to forgive. You can find peace. You can find positivity in your life without forgiveness. You certainly should forgive yourself just as Mr. Bryant should forgive himself. This is nobody's fault but Mr. Augustine's. She then returned to Paul. Your attorney says that we should save the serious sentences for the serious crimes. If I send you to prison, what should I do with armed robberies? Well, I can send them to prison too. There's no exclusivity here where if I send you, I can't send them. What you did is diabolical. And although there was no physical violence, there was certainly the potential for physical violence. Having six squad cars show up at a home with armed officers under the impression that there is a serious crime occurring inside the home certainly incites violence. Regardless of Paul's diagnosis or size, The judge was convinced that he was a threat to the public. The court does believe that a prison sentence is necessary here for the protection of the public. All I have to do is look at what happened after you posted $5,000 cash bond to know what your risk for reoffending is if you were placed on probation. At last, Judge Gabrielle delivered her sentence. I'm going to start with count nine in 24 CF 1-2-3. There the court imposes one year of initial confinement followed by two years of extended supervision. As to count one in 24 CF 1-2-3, the court imposes one and a half years initial confinement. As to count 14, the court imposes three years of initial confinement followed by three years of initial confinement. In total, the judge sentenced Paul to 10 years in prison followed by 12 years of extended supervision and then another three years of probation. She also ordered Paul to pay restitution to his victims. This was far more than the prosecution ever hoped for. When Adam heard the final verdict, he felt justice had been served. I don't think we could have asked for more. She really broke it down. She was like, this is what I think he deserves. And I could not agree more. She saw clearly. Oh, gosh, yeah. Paul Augustine was headed to prison. The nightmare was supposed to be over. But a year after the sentencing, Adam was still living with the consequences of Paul's crimes. Today's June 26, 2026. And I just received the letter from the Criminal Information Bureau. Justice prevailed. Still, there were wounds to heal. Do you think of Adam ever? Yeah, actually, I've been hoping eventually one of these days I'll run into him because I would love to talk to him. And the fight to clear Adam's name begins. That's next time on Betrayal. As a listener note, it seems like Paul may be appealing a sentence. While he hasn't filed an official appeal, he keeps filing to extend his window to appeal in Wisconsin courts. We'll keep you updated on his case if and when he files. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal team or want to tell us your betrayal story, email us at BetrayalPod at gmail.com. That is Betrayal, P-O-D at gmail.com. Or follow us on Instagram at BetrayalPod or me at It's Andrea Gunning. To access our newsletter and additional content and to connect with the Betrayal community, join our Substack at Betrayal.Substack.com. We're grateful for your support. One way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review. Five-star reviews go a long way. A big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show was executive produced by Nancy Glass, hosted and produced by me, Nancy Glass. Andrea Gunnick. Written and produced by Carrie Hartman and Caitlin Golden. Our story editor is Monique Laborde, also produced by Ben Fetterman. Our production manager is Kristen Mulcahy. Our associate producer is Leah Jablow. Additional support by Curry Richman and Olivia Hewitt. Our iHeart team is Allie Perry and Jessica Kreinchat. Audio editing by Tanner Robbins. Mixing and mastering by Matt DelVecchio. Special thanks to Carl Bryan, Adam Mejia, Matt Rolsey, and their communities. Betrayals theme composed by Oliver Baines. Music library provided by My Music. For more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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