'Same song and dance': Several alleged victims claim a former OK reality TV star stole $1000s from them
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - News 4 spoke with several alleged victims of former reality TV star, James Doyle, who claim he stole thousands of dollars from them.
Doyle was part of the cast in "The A-List: Dallas" show. It ran for one season before being cancelled in 2012.
Each alleged victim has requested KFOR conceal their identity for fear of threatening behavior from Doyle. Only one agreed to go on camera while remaining anonymous.
He says he met Doyle online in 2015-2016. He claims the conversations were "nice," but they lost contact as he moved out of Oklahoma.
"Then in August of 2022, late July, early August, I ended up seeing [Doyle] on Tinder. I'm like,' Oh, hey, dude,' swiped right, and we ended up matching and so we just kind of started talking," he stated.
He assumed the conversation would fizzle out in two to three weeks considering the pair lived states a part, but it didn't.
The conversation then turned into Doyle needing money, according to the alleged victim.
He claimed Doyle discussed being in an abusive relationship and wanting to get out of it.
"[Doyle] is like, 'I just literally do not have the money to put gas in my tank and drive so I can leave this place.' I'm like, Well, 'You're a lot more prepared than I am.' I'm like, 'I can give you $50,'" he said. "I've been in situations where I've been stuck and no one believed me. No one was willing to help me. And I was finally in a situation where I could be that person who I knew at one point in time. And so it was less about him as an individual and more about me being able to be the person I was when I was in that situation."
He said he was very sympathetic for the first week of Doyle needing financial assistance.
"I want to see this through because I've been in that situation where it was like things just weren't working out," he added. "Then it turned into this whole, 'Well, my account is overdrawn and I have a pending check for a couple thousand dollars, but they aren't going to release it to my checking account until my account is brought back into the green', which I knew wasn't true. I know that's not how banks worked."
The alleged victim provided News 4 with text messaged between the pair.
There appears to be constant communication and continuous requests for money.
Doyle, at one point, told the alleged victim, "I have never been this hungry in my life" and "If it doesn't work, my entire life is over."
Another alleged victim shared their text messages between himself and Doyle where Doyle is constantly asked about repayment.
"I am literally on edge so please don't push," said Doyle in a text message to the alleged second victim.
After the second alleged victim declines loaning Doyle funds due to being "tapped out," Doyle claims it's going to "ruin everything."
Social media messages to the same victim reveal Doyle saying, "You have NO F*****G IDEA what I'm going through this month. So yeah, I owe you but you can shut it."
"Pretty sure if I paid ya back this weekend you'd be nicer. But guess you'd rather just continue to be a jerk to me so why should I even care anymore?," said Doyle in a social media message to the alleged second victim.
Both sets of text messages show several screenshots of money sent to Doyle or a friend of Doyle's.
"For me, it was four and a half thousand. For someone else it was 1,200. The largest amount I know he's taken from a single person was 20,000," claimed the alleged victim News 4 interviewed.
He told KFOR he knows of at least eight men who have reportedly lost thousands of dollars to Doyle.
"It was the same song and dance of I'll give you your money back. I just I need to wait for this check to clear, blah blah," he added.
He took Doyle to small claims court in an attempt to retrieve $4,165.77.
"He threatened to fabricate sexual assault charges to try and coerce me into dropping my lawsuit," stated the alleged victim.
He also claims Doyle told him his attorney, who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, would be done for if civil proceedings ensued.
"In a civil case where it's where they're suing him to recover money that he gave them, they've got to essentially prove that they didn't give him the money, that they loaned him the money. And then it comes to, well, if you're going to loan somebody over $500, you would need to comply with what's called the statute of frauds and that means that the statute of fraud says that any agreement for something in excess of $500 needs to be put in writing. So for a civil case, it's a tough one, unless there's some sort of writing or text messages or something that indicates that he's agreeing to pay it back," explained Oklahoma attorney, Tod Mercer.
According to the Oklahoma State Courts Network, the Judge ruled a default judgement in favor of the Plaintiff. The default judgement reveals Doyle did not show up for court.
Fast forward to February of this year, Doyle was arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center for a criminal charge of uttering a forged instrument.
Court documents obtained by News 4 show Doyle is accused of defrauding the City National Bank in Oklahoma City 21 times, including eight ATM withdrawals and associated ATM fees.
Records detail Doyle deposited checks from Ally Bank at City National Bank.
Oklahoma City Police interviewed two tellers who explained Doyle had recently opened the City National Bank account in question.
As Doyle tried to deposit "large checks" on November 28, 2022, both tellers claim they called Ally Bank to verify his account, but they were unable to confirm any information.
The tellers were told to "go ahead" in depositing the checks, but a teller stated she put a hold on the check, according to a probable cause affidavit. However, that teller claims a manager with the bank must have pushed it through and made the funds available to Doyle.
Two Ally Bank checks were returned, but Ally Bank did not give a reason why the checks would not clear, court records say.
Documents indicate Doyle attempted to deposit a third check after the two had been returned. Once he was told about the returned checks and the need to put a hold on the third one, "Doyle sped out of the drive through (sic) and never came back."
City National Bank allegedly lost $7,491.07 because of Doyle.
That case is still ongoing with a preliminary hearing conference scheduled for July 27 at 9 a.m.
"It's like a carpet bombing. He is just, anyone and everyone that he can talk to, that he can get a communication or a line of communication going with," said the first alleged victim. "I'm young and dumb. 200-mile long distance relationship for a person who I've never actually seen in person. I'm not that dumb, so it wasn't even the romantic context. It was the 'I want to try to help out a person.'"
News 4 reached out to Doyle's attorney Tuesday morning for comment, but he declined for both himself and on behalf of Doyle.
However, within seconds of Doyle's attorney declining comment, Doyle texted News 4 Reporter, Kaylee Olivas.
"I was contacted by my lawyer about being contacted by you in regards to my case. I am honestly confused and not sure what is going on. I have been working with them to have everything fixed with the plaintiff and to clear my name. A story about my incredibly rough year last year would not only destroy my softball coaching (volunteer) but also my career I have finally managed to get going after divorce. I know you are not on my side with the story, but just wanted to send you a message and let you know something like this is going to destroy months and months of therapy I have put myself through. But not your issue," said Doyle.
Doyle told KFOR he is "aware of everything" and is slowly making amends.
News 4 requested an interview with Doyle, but he declined at the advice of his attorney. He still maintained he couldn't "defend myself because either way, I'll lose everything."
"This could have been resolved. I have nothing to hide when it comes to making amends as I can, but I haven't had any contact by anyone in months. I assumed [the alleged victims] just hated me at this point," added Doyle.
An alleged victim claims their current financial situation with Doyle stems back to 2019.
News 4 inquired about the claim that this has been going on for several years.
"Not sure what 2019 would be about," he said. "People make mistakes and people change."
Doyle claims he has paid "many" back, but that it's a "very long process."
He mentioned the alleged victim who claims he lost $20,000 to Doyle by name without News 4 releasing it.
"It is with an abundance of caution that I am releasing this anonymous statement, James Doyle has frequently used tactics of instilling fear, shame, and retaliation to silence not only me but others. James Doyle preys on vulnerable individuals who are going through the darkest times of their lives. James uses his divorce sob story to “borrow” thousands of dollars from individuals with little to no repayment. I want anyone who searches 'James Doyle' to see beyond his good looks and recognize him for what he truly is—a con artist who needs to be held accountable for his actions. We must stand up against such behavior and demand justice for those who have suffered emotionally and financially," a third alleged victim, who claims Doyle stole $20,000 from him wrote to News 4.
Mercer told KFOR in a situation where $20,000 is owed, it could become a civil case rather than small claims.
"I think $20,000 now puts you over the small claims limit and puts you in the civil court. And you don't have to sue in small claims court either. You could actually take those claims, the civil court, for one reason or another. But so yeah, he could take that into into civil court and stay out of small claims court," stated Mercer.
"I'm doing what I can to fix the rest. Including the 4,100," stated Doyle.
Doyle also told KFOR he was working on making amends, but he won't be able to continue doing so based on News 4's coverage.
"Hopefully you got the story, but there's more to it than I can explain. But I'm not gonna throw people under the bus," said Doyle.
Doyle's last text message went on to say there are "contracts and proof of loans" for any "alleged debts" and "not just hearsay."
"I don't hate him. I don't want anything bad or horrendous to happen to him. I just want the situation done right," said the first alleged victim.