Tim Durham: The Sleazy Republican Dealmaker Whose Offices Were Raided by the FBI Today
One day you're a high-flying banker, hanging with Penthouse pets and rappers and watching hot girls kiss at 'pajama parties'. The next the feds are raiding your office and humiliation awaits when websites find your Facebook page.
Durham operated companies in Indianapolis, Obsidian Enterprises and Fair Finance, that specialized in buying debt-ridden companies. The FBI did not give a reason for the raid, or for picking up Durham in LA, but the Indianapolis Business Journal has an idea:
...since Durham, 47, bought Fair in 2002, he had used it almost like a personal bank to fund a range of business interests, some of them unsuccessful... he and related parties owe Fair more than $168 million.
Oops! Let's take a look how he spent that, or whatever other, money he had! A BusinessInsider story notes that:
Durham's page on MySpace, a social networking site, revealed an R-rated pajama party in 2007. The page showed two naked women kissing and reported that Penthouse magazine model Martina Warren was in attendance.
The MySpace page is gone (although if any kind people have pictures of the gathering, send them here) but click through for a gallery and a field guide to a truly obnoxious man who boasted he sometimes forgets how many cars he owns. Or should that be owned?
Durham, who is a big Republican fundraiser, as if you couldn't tell by looking at his corpulent face, had a 100-foot yacht called Obsidian and homes in LA, Miami and Indianapolis (the big three of glamor, as they're known). Here's a picture of him and his close friend Ludacris on said yacht, courtesy of his Facebook page.
He apparently loved talking about how much money he had, because he gave interviews, and access for pictures like this, to Indianapolis Monthly ("Durham's sinewy girlfriend Jami Ferrell — a former Playboy playmate — sunbathes in the 90 degree heat") and CNBC in 2008 before everyone was revealed to be broke. Highlights from the latter next.
From CNBC: "Durham's main residence is a 30,000 square foot, 8 bedroom home in Indiana. The house has a pool, 2 state of the art kitchens, 3 bars, an exercise room, home theater and about 20 TV's — including 2 in the master bathroom's mirror."
From CNBC: "Tim Durham has a major weakness for cars. On any given day he can drive off in a Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, or Dusenberg. Durham owns almost 70 cars...but sometimes loses count."
From CNBC: "In the past the wealthy had private railroad cars....today they have jets. Tim Durham frequently uses his private jet to go where ever he'd like, even on very short notice. Durham says "it's a nice convenience to have."
And here are some more pictures from his Facebook account. This one is provisionally titled: 'leering mouth-breather.'
This is the lady his Facebook account says he's 'in a relationship' with. Obviously we know nothing about these people and they may be deeply in love. But the odds on her visiting him in jail, should he be charged and prosecuted with anything, seem slim judging by the company he keeps.