Man Known As No. 1 Deadbeat Parent Admits Guilt

The world’s number one deadbeat parent, a title he earned from officials, has admitted his guilt in a court of law.

During a Thursday court appearance at the US District Court in Central Islip on Long Island, Robert Sand pleaded guilty to owing child support in excess of $1.2 million. The amount covers two child support orders and includes penalty and interest charges.

The Associated Press writes that the child support orders pertain to three children from two marriages. According to Assistant US Attorney Alan Bode, the orders have been in arrears for approximately 10 years.

Deemed the number one deadbeat parent by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Sand successfully avoided prosecution for several years before being extradited to New York and placed into custody on Tuesday.

Sands originally fled to Florida before moving to Thailand, where he worked a series of odd jobs. He was later deported from the Philippines in 2012 after failing to provide proper documentation to officials. He eventually made his way to California where federal marshals placed him under arrest.

According to The New York Daily News, Robert Sand’s mother is relieved that her son is no longer running from the charges against him:

“I’m very glad he’s back in the [United States]. He made a terrible mistake leaving the country. He’s not a bad guy, he just got caught up in that spider web of whatever the system is.”

Are you surprised that the man known as the number one deadbeat parent in the US has finally admitted guilt?