I have two friends who were released recently from Chino State prison. Their names are Sean Griffith and Brent McIntosh. I cannot believe I actually know two convicts, but I had no idea of their true identity until their arrest four years ago. It’s important to consider who your friends are because you never know where they’ll lead you. As you read, you’ll be amazed to find why these friends of mine were actually convicted. Maybe I was naïve to have them as friends, but I’ll let you be the judge. I’ll describe Sean and Brent to you, as I know them, by narrowing their identity to cover four major bases: appearance, personality, intelligence, and occupation; then you can decide my naiveté.
Sean Griffith’s appearance is average. He’s an African American, and stands 5’ 4” with a relatively stocky build. His full black beard, which covers scars caused by acne, is trimmed neatly and closely against his dark complexion. If he escaped from prison, he most likely would discard his prison overalls and stop by Macys department store to buy some Tommy Hillfiger casuals.
Unlike Sean’s appearance, Brent McIntosh stands 6’ 5”; however, his spindly figure seems to add another 2” to his height. Brent has a fair complexion, blues eyes, and shoulder length blond hair. His unusually impressive face, which he keeps clean-shaven, gives him a pleasing and dignified appearance. Similar to Sean, Brent would discard his prison garments and evaded into the local Galleria to purchase an outfit from an Eddie Bauer clothing store.
Sean’s personality reveals a man of consideration, tact, and deference. He’s the type of person who keeps chivalry alive. His parents would characterize him as having a noble and forbearing spirit, always willing to give generously to the less fortunate. Some say that his overly compassionate heart landed him in prison. Moreover, if you spoke with Sean’s wife, she would have painted him as a humble and respectful man.
With striking difference, Brent’s personality is full of fresh and raw vitality. His brash and uninhibited personality would become very clear, shortly after meeting him. You would instantly notice his obtrusiveness and how he would butt into every conversation. Brent often vocalized his opinions while showing off his self-assertive attitude. One poor character trait I was aware of was Brent’s prejudice. His stepfather would confirm this every now-and-then by pronouncing how Brent was a “nigger hater.” He once shared how Brent flatly declined financial counseling to perspective clients because they were black. This fact enforced the reason for his conviction.
It’s hard to believe that intelligent men could end up in prison. Nonetheless, it seemed that the only similarities Sean and Brent had were their occupations and the fact that they were educated. If you spoke with Sean’s college professor, who happened to be the famous Dr. Netto, you would have learned that Sean graduated honorably with a BS in business management. He quickly signed up with Prudential Insurance after graduating college, and in 6 months had a client base of 225 insurance holders, consisting mostly of retirees.
Similarly, Brent excelled in the same occupation, with an identical academic history and intellect. Brent worked for the Prudential, which was located two cities north of Sean’s firm. Brent also had a large client base. Unlike Sean though, Brent’s clients consisted of mostly single or wealthy white females. After Brent’s conviction, I heard his manager say, “Brent’s social prowess and good looks are what made him wealthy.” Then he added, “Too bad his personality landed him in prison.”
Was I naïve in choosing Sean and Brent as friends? They seemed to me as being “normal” and “right-minded” when I socialized with them. I think everyone was dismayed after hearing how both were convicted for insurance fraud. I wonder if I should fear the well-known cliché, “A man is known by the company he keeps?”
© 1999 james olmos
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