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Nov 18, 2008 10:54 pm US/Central
Petters' Girlfriend Opens Up About Sons, Jail
(WCCO)
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Tracy Mixon was a key witness in the hearing that resulted in Tom Petters being held in jail pending the outcome of his trial.
CBS
For the first time a key member of Tom Petters' inner circle is talking. His girlfriend and the mother of his two sons spoke exclusively to WCCO-TV with his blessing.
Tracy Mixon was also a key witness in the hearing that resulted in Petters being held in jail pending the outcome of his trial. In an exclusive interview, she told WCCO's Esme Murphy about Petters' life behind bars.
For Petters and Mixon it was a glamorous life with Greek Island vacations and parties with the likes of Bill Cosby.
"He wants to thank the people that have stood by him because there are not very many," Mixon said.
It not the party images that Petters cares for these days. Mixon showed pictures of Petters and their two young sons: 17-month-old Nicholas and 3-year-old Joey. Petters wants the pictures for his jail cell.
"Wherever Tom is, Joey is. Joey has his own Blackberry. It's a non-working one," she said.
"Joey would sit next to him and copy him."
Now Petters speaks to his sons every night on a speakerphone from jail.
"It's been really tough, it's been really hard on Tom. Everyday he is on the verge of a breakdown because he misses them so much," Mixon said.
Even family conversations are recorded by law enforcement.
"He's emotional at times and I am too. And to know that someone is listening to that," she said.
Mixon insists a number of the revelations about Petters are wrong, including allegations of huge gambling debts.
"Is he $10 million in debt to the casinos there?" asked Murphy.
That is absolutely ridiculous," she said.
Petters was arrested in October for allegedly bilking investors since 1995. Mixon said Petters is denying that he swindled $3 billion from investors, including some charities. Teen Challenge is a faith-based treatment program for children and adults battling addiction that invested $5 million with Petters.
"I know personally we have talked about Teen Challenge so many times and that's near and dear to his heart and he was devastated," she said.
Petters remains in the Sherburne County Jail without bail because prosecutors convinced two judges he is a flight risk. In a recorded phone conversation played in court, Petters said he and Mixon talked about fleeing with their children.
"Did you and he ever talk about leaving the country?" asked Murphy.
"Absolutely, never discussed never leaving the country. That was something that was never brought up," Mixon said.
And Mixon said that in a court hearing last month. That in her opinion Petters was drunk when he made those incriminating remarks.
As for the possibility that Petters could spend the rest of his life in jail, Mixon said she and Petters just don't talk about that.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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