A man from Florida, who stated “I do” not once, but twice too many to three wives, has received a sentence for his felony bigamy conviction.
Henry Betsey Jr. received a two-year probation sentence on July 31 following his conviction for being simultaneously married to three different women, as reported by ABC Action News and WKRC.
According to the Deccan Herald, none of the women were informed that Betsey was married to any of the others. He wed the women in different counties, which aided him in evading detection by the state as well.
Betsey, 50, entered a guilty plea to the felony charge of bigamy in May, as reported by ABC Action News. The news outlet indicated that he appeared at the court hearing accompanied by a new girlfriend. However, during his sentencing, he was present alone when faced by all three women he had wed.
“He sold the perfect person, when in reality, he was none of those things,” said wife Tonya Betsey, who uncovered her husband’s fraudulent scheme when she initiated a search of his name in county databases throughout the state, which disclosed that he was still wed to two other women: Michele Betsey and Brandy Betsey.
Florida man “said all the right things”
During the sentencing, all three wives stated that they encountered Betsey on dating platforms. Later, they all stated they wed him at their respective local courthouses. “He said all the right things,” Brandy informed the court.
According to the Deccan Herald, Betsey’s dating profile read: “Looking for a beautiful woman who understands the ups and downs of life, is trustworthy and no games.”
However, the women informed the court last week that Betsey’s own games commenced in November 2020 when he initially wed Tanya after encountering her on Tinder.
Three wives believe Betsey married them for money
Subsequently, Betsey married Brandy in February 2022 after they connected on Stir. He then entered into a third marriage with Michele in November 2022. This was just three weeks after their meeting on Match.com, as reported by WKRC. The three wives conveyed to the court their belief that Betsey married them to obtain access to their financial resources.
Betsey reportedly took time to apologize to his three wives at his court appearance. “I want to apologize to the ladies and I want to apologize to the court administration and to my family and friends that had to be involved in this, because ultimately this is something that I didn’t wish to be part of,” the three-time husband told the court.
The judge imposed a sentence of two years probation on him. It allows Betsey to evade incarceration while still being recorded as a convicted felon.
ABC Action News has reported that Judge Merritt has mandated Betsey to refrain from using social media. Betsey is also to avoid any contact with his three wives.